National Mission on Bamboo Applications (NMBA)

The NMBA supports projects for promoting and facilitating bamboo technologies and products for
various end-uses and applications.
Foresight reports and analysis:
Bioprocess & Bioproducts Programme
Two specialized technology reports on nation-wide survey on the availability of Indian biomass
resources and biomass derived bioproducts assessment of technology trends, gaps & opportunities have
been published for wider dissemination.
Collaborative Automotive R & D (CAR)
Under the CAR Programme, during the year, a specific roadmap for Electric-drive Vehicles (EV)
was prepared based on the specific request from the National Manufacturing Competitiveness Council
(NMCC), and in collaboration with the Department of Heavy Industries. The EV roadmap has two
components (a) policy document by DHI, and (b) detailed technology roadmap prepared by the CAR
group. CAR recently completed the three studies, viz. (i) Grid impact of plug-in electric vehicles, (ii)
Transmission technologies an India perspectives and (iii) Light weighting of public transport vehicles with
aluminium.
Technology Up gradation of select MSME clusters
Malda Food Processing Cluster: A feasibility study for commissioning of aseptic packaging plant at
Malda is underway and preparation of DPR is under consideration.
Agartala Rubber Cluster: A study, titled Technology Status and Gap Analysis Study for the Rubber
Cluster of Agartala, Tripura Both Primary Rubber Processing Units and Rubber Products Manufacturing
Units, is ongoing with National Institute of Technology (NIT), Agartala, as the Knowledge Partner. Twelve
more studies are being taken up at different institutions around the country. These studies will being out the
technology gaps and also present technology intervention plan for the clusters.

PATENT FACILITATING CENTRE

PFC has been in the fore-front of the national scene in creating awareness about intellectual property
rights (IPR) in the country, assisting scientists and technologists in protecting their inventive work, spreading
the IPR culture to the State level, evolving policies at the national level, providing technical input to the
government on IPR related issues and interacting and supporting other government departments in protecting
their innovations.
PFC has a mechanism to extend full technical and financial support to R&D institutes, universities,
educational institutions and schools in protecting their inventions in India and abroad. These institutions do
not have the necessary financial resources and expertise to carry out this work. PFCs intervention has
proved a boon for the Indian inventors in universities and R&D institutes.
During this year 65 fresh proposals from various universities, educational institutions and government
agencies were received for patent filing in India. All these proposals were evaluated at PFC for novelty
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and inventiveness of the inventions and 49 cases were put before the committee for recommendation. The
committee recommended 37 cases for filing of patent applications in India. Out of these 37 cases, 20 cases
have already filed and the rest of them are in the process of being filed. PFC had also entered into a MoU
with DRDO in 2004 whereby PFC is filing and prosecuting IPR applications of DRDO. PFC has sent 55
cases for patent filing on behalf of DRDO out of which 20 have been filed and balance are in the process
of being filed. In all 40 cases (20 for universities and 20 for DRDO) have been filed till now by PFC and
52 are in pipeline. In respect of inventions from DRDO, four patents have been granted in India, one
patent has been granted in South Africa, four trademarks have been registered and one design has been
registered during this period.
PFC has been guiding many ministries and government departments at the central and state level on
IPR related matters. PFC is maintaining the IP portfolio of DRDO and is filing IP applications on its behalf.
Similarly, PFC has provided direction and focused support to the Ministry of MSME in initiating programmes
to help the medium and small enterprises to protect their innovations. Ministry of MSME has created
Intellectual Property Facilitation Centre (IPFC) in many PICs to create IPR awareness in MSMEs and
helping them in protecting their IPRs. Separate grants are being provided to them by the Ministry of
MSME. PFC has been made the coordinator for all such IPFCs. Similarly, PFC has been helping and
guiding the Department of Information Technology in implementing their IPR programmes.
One geographical indication (GI) has been registered for Phulkari which was filed by the Patent
Information Centre (PIC), Punjab with the assistance from PFC.
PFC has recently appointed a new panel of attorneys for a period of three years whom it entrusts all
the work related to filing, prosecution and maintenance of intellectual property emanating from the requests
it receives from various agencies.
A new committee has been constituted by PFC for recommending cases for filing patent applications
abroad.
While continuing with its mandate of awareness creation in the area of IPR, PFC conducted 3 patent/
IPR awareness workshops in various states, sensitizing about 500 scientists and technologists. PFC plans
to conduct about 15 workshops during this financial year.
The fifth batch of the women scientists completed their one year training in IPR in May 2010. They
were given a certificate at the end of the training.
The training for the sixth batch of the 73 selected candidates started from May 10, 2010 at PFCDelhi, CCSTDS-Chennai, IIT Kharagpur and URDIP-Pune. The candidates were selected by a rigorous
process comprising of an all India examination followed by an interview. The candidates from all the
centres went through an extensive six-week long orientation programme at Delhi conducted by PFCTIFAC in the months of May and June, 2010. During this programme they were exposed to various
aspects of IPR by the most prestigious IPR faculty of the country. The programme had about 70 lectures
on IPR for the candidates. They were given lectures on topics like historical aspects of IP, IP audit, FTOs,
IP portfolio management and many more. They were also given hands on experience on patent searches
during practical sessions. After the orientation programme the candidates have been placed with different
agencies involved in IPR for the on going job training for about 10 months.

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Three training programmes on IPR were organized this year by PFC. The first one was a two days
training on IPR for IPCUs (IPR Cells in Universities) at TERI Retreat on May 13-14, 2010. It was
attended by the nodal officers of 30 IPCUs. PFC has established 53 IPR cells in 53 universities (IPCUs)
in 12 states. The IPR cells in the universities have been created with the aim of guiding the university
academicians in the matters related to IPR like patent searches, IP audit of the university and coordinating
with PIC at the state level for filing and prosecution of the IP applications emanating from the research
activities at the university.
The second training programme, International Advanced Training Course on IPR for NAM and
other Developing Countries was organized in collaboration with NAM S&T Centre from July 12-17,
2010. Representatives from 27 countries from Africa, South America and Asia participated in the
programme. The course was designed and conducted by PFC.
DST has entrusted the responsibility of conducting two training programmes on IPR and WTO
issues for the scientists under its programme National Programme for Training of Scientist and Technologist.
The first one was organized from September 6-10, 2010 at TERI Retreat. It was attended by about 20
scientists from various scientific organizations. The second programme on the same topic would be organized
in the month of December, 2010.

VIGYAN PRASAR
Vigyan Prasar (VP) was established as an autonomous organization under the Department of science
and technology in 1989 for communication of science and technology. It promotes and propagates a
scientific and rational outlook in the society, nurtures interest in science, encourages creativity and develops
capacity for informed decision making.
The institute develops and disseminates original and interesting communication material for print,
electronic and digital media, imparts training to science communicators, catalyzes creative activities and
conducts research in various aspects of science and technology communication.
International Year of Biodiversity 2010
As part of International Year of Biodiversity (IYB 2010), VP has taken up a number of projects/
programmes for various target groups. The activities undertaken by Vigyan Prasar as part of its outreach
campaign are:

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Vigyan Prasar, in association with All India Radio, produced a 13 Episode radio serial on Biodiversity.
The serial was broadcast in 19 languages through 117 radio stations of AIR.

Content generation and pilot outreach for biodiversity conservation by small farmers.

Vigyan Prasar produced training materials for capacity building on biodiversity conservation for zilla
and gram panchayat members.

Vigyan Prasar organized a Press Meet on International Biodiversity Day May 22, 2010 at Press
Club of India, New Delhi. This was well attended by representatives of various media houses.

A seminar was organised in November 2010 at Bangalore on conserving Biodiversity in Agriculture.

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