The CSIR–National Institute of Science Communication and Policy Research (CSIR-NIScPR) celebrated its 5th Foundation Day, reaffirming its commitment to advancing science communication, policy research and the use of artificial intelligence for regional language outreach. The event highlighted the institute’s growing role in strengthening India’s science policy ecosystem and taking its research and communication efforts to a global audience.

Welcoming the gathering, Dr. Geetha Vani Rayasam, Director, CSIR-NIScPR, underlined the institute’s strong legacy in science communication and its future priorities. “We need to engage global institutions. We are working on how to leverage AI in regional language communication,” she said, emphasising the need for wider dissemination of scientific knowledge across linguistic and geographic boundaries.

Dr Viswajanani J. Sattigeri, Head, CSIR–Traditional Knowledge Digital Library (TKDL) Unit, highlighted the international recognition of TKDL and its importance in safeguarding India’s traditional knowledge. “Traditional knowledge is very important, and we are the only lab that validates traditional knowledge. Policy research at NIScPR has huge potential—previously, our policy document was released by the Former President of India. TKDL is now fully digitized, so we can research more relevant tools,” she said.

The Chief Guest, Dr Shivkumar Kalyanaraman, CEO, Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF), Government of India, delivered a distinguished lecture, praising NIScPR’s alignment with ANRF’s vision of positioning India as a global research and innovation hub. “I praise the idea of NIScPR going global—we need to think global. NIScPR uses policy to solve societal problems, and we need to become world-class,” he said, also inviting collaboration on AI-enabled research formats and outreach tools.

On the occasion, Dr Kalyanaraman launched the SVASTIK web portal—Scientifically Validated Societal Traditional Knowledge—a national initiative implemented by CSIR-NIScPR. The portal provides a single-window platform for accessing SVASTIK content and disseminates India’s scientifically validated traditional knowledge in English, 19 Indian languages and five foreign languages, strengthening outreach and stakeholder engagement nationwide and globally.