CSIR Integrated Skill Initiative

CSIR Integrated Skill Initiative (CSIR ISI) is designated as an umbrella programme to encompass the entire spectrum of skill development activities of all the CSIR laboratories. Typically, the skill development activities executed under CSIR ISI can be classified one among, basic skilling, re-skilling and upskilling. Activities under basic skilling targets to impart elementary-level skill set in a chosen subject to the participants who are most likely to be non-graduates. On the other hand, re-skilling and upskilling activities address the needs of qualified / working professionals.

CSIR-SERC primarily executes re-skilling / upskilling  activities aligned with number of specialisations in structural engineering discipline. The Skill and Human Resource Development Division (SHRDD) acts as the nodal division to conduct various re-skilling / upskilling programmes consisting of advanced and industry-sponsored courses by the scientists under CSIR ISI. The courses and the contents are designed and developed to cover the latest developments in structural engineering and provide state-of-the-art to the participants. In addition, SHRDD also organizes webinar series by scientists on the topics of their expertise.

During the year 2021-22, a total of 22 courses and 9 webinars were conducted to benefit about 1200 participants from throughout the country. The participants consist mainly of working professionals from industry and academics, research scholars, post-graduate students, etc. The courses were conducted in online mode and covered a wide range of topics in structural engineering like structural health monitoring, fatigue & fracture, wind engineering, earthquake resistant design, concrete technology, transmission line towers, computational mechanics, etc. Click here to know the list of courses and webinars conducted during the period from April 2021 to March 2022.

During the year 2022-23, the laboratory has planned to organise 20 courses as per the calendar https://serc.res.in/course

JIGYASA

The JIGYASA programme is inspired by Prime Minister’s vision of a New India and Scientific Social Responsibility (SSR) of Scientific Community and Institutions. JIGYASA, a student - scientist connect programme has been launched by the Government of India on 6th July 2017. "JIGYASA" is one of the major initiatives taken up by CSIR at National level, during its Platinum Jubilee Celebration year (2017). Subsequently, CSIR is widening and deepening its Scientific Social Responsibility by conducting more activities under the programme. The focus of this scheme is to establish a versatile platform to connect school students and scientists so as to extend student's classroom learning with well-planned research laboratory-based learning.

Along the same lines, Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) is a Government of India's flagship initiative to create and promote a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship across the length and breadth of our country. One of the major initiatives taken by AIM, among many, is establishing Atal Tinkering Laboratories (ATLs) in schools across India, with a vision to ‘cultivate one million children in India as Neoteric Innovators’. CSIR has adopted a total of 295 schools from across the country for knowledge mentoring. CSIR-SERC is assigned with the responsibility of mentoring the Atal Tinkering Laboratories established in selected 15 schools  in Tamil Nadu.

SHRDD plays the primary role in executing the following major activities under JIGYASA programme.

• Connecting the students of Kendriya Vidyalaya and state Government schools with the scientists of CSIR-SERC
• Mentoring Atal Tinkering Labs (ATL) conceptualised by NITI Aayog and initiated in the selected / adopted Government schools
• Organising competition under different categories (online and offline) to inculcate scientific temper and team work among the school students

Technical visit of students / faculties of professional colleges

The students and faculties of several engineering and architectural colleges undertake visits to CSIR-SERC to update their knowledge on current developments and to know about the state-of-the-art experimental facilities in the structural engineering domain. The visits can be arranged on any working day throughout the year but with prior arrangements.

More details can be obtained by sending an email to shrdd@serc.res.in

Prof. G.S. Ramaswamy summer internship

The summer internship is intended to attract and motivate young and bright students from reputed academic institutions such as IITs / NITs / BITS / Government academic institutions. The programme has been initiated in the year 2017 and since then, SHRDD is taking care of implementing the programme. The internship is offered in honour of the founder Director of CSIR-SERC, Prof. G.S. Ramaswamy. The internship is offered for a period of 6 to 8 weeks on full-time basis without break and the maximum number is restricted to 10 per year.

Applications are invited in the month of February / March every year and the internship will be offered by the following May-June. Interested candidates can visit our website for announcements or send email to shrdd@serc.res.in

Graduate / Post-graduate students project work

SHRDD extends end-to-end support to the students to carry out their final year project work under the guidance of scientists on state-of-the-art topics in structural engineering. The students will be able to stay in the campus for a period of 6 – 9 months to carry out their project work. The scheme attracts large number of applications and, many a times, it is required to apply suitable criteria for the selection of the students.

Applications are generally invited in the month of June / July every year for the project to be undertaken from the following October – December. Interested candidates can regularly visit our website for announcements or send email to shrdd@serc.res.in

Deputation of staff

SHRDD acts as an interface between the staff members, both technical and administrative, and the agencies that offer on-job training programmes. In that process, SHRDD understands the training needs of the staff and it is ensured that each staff member gets opportunity to upgrade their knowledge about the current developments.

Internal training programmes

SHRDD also takes up the role of organising internal training programmes for staff members, mainly those who are newly inducted, with the aim to make them conversant with evolving practices and procedures that are required for efficiently executing their activities.