JIGYASA (A Student-Scientist connect programme as Scientific Social Responsibility), New Delhi on 22nd Aug 2023

Late Dr. S. Husain Zaheer played a great role in the Freedom struggle and was a close associate of Pandit Nehru. He was appointed as Director General of CSIR 1961-66. He had a long association with the science system in the country in various capacities and contributed substantially and significantly to the growth of scientific and industrial research in India. He is remembered by the scientific community for five year performance assessment scheme (flexible complementing scheme) to provide incentive to scientists for creative activities, and abolition of hierarchy among scientists.

Dr. Zaheer felt that the types of Conferences held in 1963, 1967 and 1970 as mentioned above should be continued to consider various issues of development of the country and for this purpose an independent organization might be set up which could make useful recommendations to the Government some of which might be accepted by the Government and would help in the promotion of socio-economic development of the country on the basis of science and technology keeping in view the latest global trends in knowledge based areas.  The inspiration for starting the Foundation came from the perception that there was a gap in the area of interaction between science and society and the Foundation could greatly help in promoting scientific attitude and temper.

Background

Zaheer Science Foundation is a non-profit organisation, that was established in 1970 as a think tank. The Foundation was registered as a society under the Societies Registration Act of 1860. Inspiration for starting the foundation came from the perception that there was a great need for interaction between science and society, and the foundation could greatly help in creating a clear understanding to connect scientific and technological developments for societal needs and promoting scientific temperament at large. The Foundation has been actively involved in promotion of scientific research and bringing awareness about Science & Technology Innovations. It has also been working in the area of S&T Policy analysis, Science for Small Nations and South-South Cooperation through organizing seminars and conferences at National and International level in last few years, helping in disseminating the scientific knowledge and promoting scientific temperament for nation building.

The Foundation is named after (Late) Dr. S. Husain Zaheer, who had played a great role in the Indian Freedom struggle. Appointed as Director General of CSIR (1961-66), Dr. Zaheer had a long association with the science system in the country in various capacities and contributed substantially and significantly to the growth of scientific and industrial research in India. He is remembered by the scientific community for five-year performance assessment scheme (flexible complementing scheme) to provide incentive to scientists for creative activities, and abolition of hierarchy among scientists.

The initiative of naming the Foundation as Zaheer Science Foundation and the honour of being its first Chairman belonged to Dr. A. Ramaswamy Mudaliar who was also the Founder President of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research. Thereafter, the following eminent scholars served as Chairmen of the Zaheer Science Foundation:

Dr. S. Husain Zaheer     Dr. A. R. Kidwai
Prof. Nurul Hasan        Dr. G. Thyagarajan
Shri P.N. Haksar          Dr. M. U. Khan
Prof. R.C. Mehrotra      Prof. Harsh Gupta

The Foundation was registered as a Society under the Societies Registration Act of 1860.

Late Dr. S. Husain Zaheer, played a great role in the Freedom struggle and was a close associate of Pandit Nehru. He was appointed as Director General of CSIR 1961-66. He had a long association with the science system in the country in various capacities and contributed substantially and significantly to the growth of scientific and industrial research in India. He is remembered by the scientific community for five year performance assessment scheme (flexible complementing scheme) to provide incentive to scientists for creative activities, and abolition of hierarchy among scientists.

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