Who Is Nallathamby Kalaiselvi? The First Woman To Head CSIR, India’s Largest Research Organisation

Dr Nallathamby Kalaiselvi, known for her research work of more than 25 years on electrochemical power systems, has been appointed the director general of CSIR, and the secretary of DSIR.

Dr Nallathamby Kalaiselvi, the newly appointed director general of CSIR, has received several accolades, including the CV Raman Mahila Vijnana Puraskara and the Materials Research Society Medal. ( Image Source :Twitter/@CSIR_IND )

Senior scientist Nallathamby Kalaiselvi was appointed the director general of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), on Saturday, August 6, 2022. This makes her the first woman to head the largest research and development organisation in India, which runs 38 laboratories and institutes, 39 outreach centres, and three innovation centres. 

Dr Kalaiselvi has also been appointed the secretary of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR), the CSIR announced Saturday. The DSIR is a part of the Union Ministry of Science and Technology, and has a mandate to carry out the activities relating to indigenous technology promotion, transfer, utilisation, and development.

Dr N Kalaiselvi has been appointed as the DG, CSIR & Secretary, DSIR.

Hearty congratulations to Dr Kalaiselvi from the CSIR Family.@PMOIndia @DrJitendraSingh @PIB_India @DDNewslive pic.twitter.com/oHIZr9uoMG

— CSIR (@CSIR_IND) August 6, 2022

Dr Kalaiselvi succeeds Shekhar C Mande, an Indian structural and computational biologist, as the director general of CSIR and the secretary of DSIR.

Dr Nallathamby Kalaiselvi’s Research Work

Dr Kalaiselvi, known for her research work of more than 25 years on electrochemical power systems, assumed charge as Director, CSIR-Central Electrochemical Research Institute (CSIR-CECRI) at Karaikudi, Tamil Nadu, on February 22, 2019. 

For 25 years, Dr Kalaiselvi has worked particularly on the development of electrode materials, custom designed synthesis methods, electrochemical evaluation of in-house prepared electrode materials for their suitability in energy storage device assembly, and the optimisation of reaction parameters. 

Lithium batteries, supercapacitors, and waste-to-wealth-driven electrodes and electrolytes for energy storage and electro catalytic applications are some of Dr Kalaiselvi's research interests, according to the official website of CSIR-CECRI.   

Some of Dr Kalaiselvi's research and development (R&D) activities include the development of modified electrode materials for high energy and high power lithium battery applications, novel electrodes and aqueous and non-aqueous lithium batteries, development of ionic liquid-based electrodes and electrolytes and polymer-based electrolytes.

During 2012-2017, Dr Kalaiselvi served as a nodal scientist for MULTIFUN (Multifunctional Electrodes and Electrolytes for Futuristic Technologies), a five-year plan project funded by the CSIR. As many as six CSIR Institutes served as participating labs during the project. 

According to CSIR-CECRI, Dr Kalaiselvi is currently involved in the development of practically viable sodium-ion and lithium-sulphur batteries and supercapacitors. Since 2015, she has participated in meetings conducted by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) and the Technology Information Forecasting and Assessment Council (TIFAC), for the implementation of e-mobility in India with indigenous technological support from CSIR. 

Dr Kalaiselvi played an important role in the National Mission for Electric Mobility (NMEM).

Her areas of expertise include Electrochemistry, Energy, Material Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Nanomaterials Chemistry, and Electrochemical power sources.

She hails from Ambasamudram, a small town in Tirunelveli district of Tamil Nadu, went to a Tamil medium school, and started her career in research as an entry-level scientist at CSIR-CECRI, a PTI report said.

Dr Kalaiselvi’s Achievements And Honours

Dr Kalaiselvi was awarded an Indian National Science Academy (INSA) Visiting fellowship in 1999. She has received the Young Scientist Seminar Award of CECRI three times, according to the CSIR-CECRI website. 

In 2003, she received the Brain Pool Fellowship of Korea.

Dr Kalaiselvi was recognised as the International Scientist of the Year in 2007. 

She was selected under the INSA-NRF Exchange Program of Scientists and visited the Korea Electrotechnology Research Institute (KERI) in 2011. 

In 2009, she received the CSIR Raman Research Fellowship to visit the University of Texas at Austin, United States.

She received the Materials Research Society Medal in 2015. 

Dr Kalaiselvi was awarded the CV Raman Mahila Vijnana Puraskara in 2019.

She has published more than 125 research papers, and has six patents to her credit.