Technological innovation is the bedrock of a nation and the State’s economic and social progress. West Bengal is making rapid progress in technology innovation owing to its strong network of academic and research institutions and to provide leadership in all aspect of Science and Technology.

Technology Development and Adaptation, set-up on 5th October 2020 at the Vigyan Chetna Bhawan, Salt Lake, will facilitate to develop the technology in nascent stage in a bottom up approach and also will catalyze and support translational research to technology transfer. This endeavor will guide the inventor/academician in developing their relevant and appropriate technologies with a strong support of Intellectual Property Rights protection mechanism.

Role of Patent Information Centre in setting up of TDAC:

The Department of Science and Technology and Biotechnology, Government of West Bengal and the Indian Institute of Management run Entrepreneur & Innovation Park at Kolkata have mutually agreed to set up a ‘Technology Development and Adaptation Centre (TDAC)’ through the West Bengal Science & Technology Council with the objective of building and nurturing an ecosystem to support S&T led entrepreneurship, promoting Scientific research and innovation where Patent Information Centre has taken key role in nurturing innovations in the State. Patent Information Centre will facilitate in patentability assessment and IPR filing and mentoring facilities for Technology Development by finding out available solution of the technology to cater the need of Technology Start-ups and Translational research of the state.

Objectives of the Centre:

The objectives of TDAC are to build and nurture an ecosystem to support S&T led entrepreneurship, promoting scientific research and innovation, mentoring product development, and supporting the promising S&T solutions/ research of the State to enable creation of sustainable venture businesses and facilitate commercialization of research output to create the social impact and success stories. TDAC will engage in development and adaption of technologies in nascent stage in a bottom up approach which will address need-based, location specific problems with appropriate S&T intervention for economically viable, ecologically sustainable and socially acceptable development. Thus the centre will facilitate in

• Mentoring product development, motivating the youth to take up S&T entrepreneurship.
• Supporting job creation and employment.
• Facilitate the promising S&T solutions/Research in the state to enable sustainable ventures, businesses, and facilitate commercialization of research output. TDAC will develop technologies in nascent stage in a bottom up approach which will address need-based, location specific problems with appropriate S&T intervention for economically viable, ecologically sustainable and socially acceptable development.

Activities:

• As a first steps in this direction Orientation programmes are being organised for the PI and Co PI of Research Projects funded by Department of Science and Technology and Biotechnology, GoWB.
• Technology hunt Programme to provide the opportunity to pitch the idea of the outcome of the research and development projects funded by DSTBT, GoWB. In this programme the Technology start-ups, grass root innovators get the opportunity to pitch their idea. The Technology Hunt 2021 was organized by TDAC, WBSCST.
• A total of 20 projects (15 Research and Development projects and 5 grass root innovations) were selected from the applied 35 technologies in Technology hunt Programme were shortlisted after an intensive search and evaluation process by engaging eminent scientists. Nine projects were selected based on the novelty of idea and research, leadership, team capability, Innovation, Market Opportunity, Ease of Implementation and Social and State Impact.

Future Road map:

The centre has started its initial work as per following road map. The Centre is aimed at nurturing and building an entrepreneurship environment in changing the mindset from one of job seeking to that of job creation and will facilitate

1. To develop the prototype create facilities for market ready product development in a hub and spoke model with Universities and Industries.
2. To provide pre-incubation and post-incubation services to incubates apart from handholding, mentoring and training during incubation.
3. To Identify and support promising S&T solutions from the state and enable creation of sustainable ventures businesses.
4. To facilitate commercialization of research output that has the potential to create large scale social impact.
5. To carry out IPR management for incubates and technology start-ups.
6. To establish a vibrant interface between university and academia on one hand and the farmers, rural artisans, citizens and MSME sector on the other.
7. To create avenues for creative and talented young minds to channelize their energy into productive activities.
8. To promote entrepreneurship and creation of value and wealth for society.
9. To attract investments in the emerging technology sector.
10. To stop brain drain by creating job opportunities.
11. To build and nurturing ecosystem that supports S&T led entrepreneurship.
12. To motivate youth to take up S&T entrepreneurship (“Job Seeker” to “Job Giver”).
13. To create success stories which can be Role Models for researchers, innovators and enterprising youth.

The Patent Information Centre of WB State Council of Science & Technology (under this Department) facilitates awareness building and protection of Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) through the following broad activities :

To create awareness on Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) and especially on Patents in the neighbourhood region of this Centre.

Enable Patent Searches for the Universities, Research Institutes, and Government Departments and Industry houses.

Searching for Novelty and Guiding inventors in filing patent their invention.

Protecting Traditional resources of State through G.I. registration.

Mentoring Technology start up in handling Innovation and Intellectual Property Rights issues.

To analyse the patent information (novelty) on a regular basis and suggest new ideas for new Research & Development based on such information to prevent repetition and provide road map for Government Financial support for Novel research projects.

Geographical Indication (G.I) protects State bio-resources and other traditional knowledge of the State to uplift the socioeconomic structure of farmer, artisans and weaver society of the State to fetch the premier value of the product for building up international market and further research.It is an indication, which is used to identify any agricultural, natural or manufactured goods originating in the specific areas with special quality or characteristics specific or unique to the particular geographical region.

Examples: Darjeeling Tea, Joynagar Moa, Santipore Saree, Malda Fazli mango etc.

Following G.Is of the State was facilitated for registration by Patent Information Centre

Sl.	Name of the Items	District	Appl. no.	Status
	HANDICRAFT
1	Bengal Dokra	Bankura, Bardhaman	563	Registered on 28.03.2018
2	Bengal Patachitra	Paschim Mednipur	564	Registered on 28.03.2018
3	Purulia Chhau Mask	Purulia	565	Registered on 28.03.2018
4	Wooden Mask of Kushmandi	DakshinDinajpur	566	Registered on 28.03.2018
5	Madurkathi	PaschimMednipur, PurbaMedinipur	567	Registered on 28.03.2018
	TEXTILE
6	Santipur Saree	Nadia	138	Registered on 04.09.2009
7	Dhaniakhali Saree	Hoogly	176	Registered on 06.01.2012
8	BaluchariSaree	Bankura	173	Registered on 06.01.2012
	AGRICULTURE
9	Khirsapati (Himsagar) Mango	Malda	112	Registered on 09.09.2008 Renewed on30.09.2017
10	Fazli Mango	Malda	113	Registered on 09.09.2008 Renewed on30.09.2017
11	Laxman Bhog Mango	Malda	111	Registered on 09.09.2008 Renewed on 30.09.2017
12	Tulaipanji Rice	Uttar Dinajpur and DakshinDinajpur	530	Registered on 24.10.17
13	Gobindabhog Rice	Bardhaman, Bankura, Birbhum, Nadia, Howrah, Hoogly, Murshidabad, North 24 Parganas	531	Registered on 24.10.17
	FOOD
14	Joynagar Moa	South 24 parganas	382	Registered on 23.03.2015
15	Bardhaman Sitabhog	Bardhaman	525	Registered on 31.03.2017
16	Bardhaman Mihidana	Bardhaman	526	Registered on 31.03.2017
17	Banglar Rasogolla	All Bengal except Siliguri, Jalpaiguri	533	Registered on 14.11.2017

Different State Awards are presented to the selected awardees for outstanding achievements in different fields of Science for encouragement and recognition. Four such awards are given after the name of eminent scientists of Bengal -

Satyendra Puraskar :

Awarded every year to an individual who is adjudged the best popular Science Writer in Bengali for the year. (Publication made within the last 5 years). The prize consists of cash amount of Rs. 50,000/- along with a silver plaque and a certificate of honour.

Meghnad Puraskar :

Awarded every year to a Voluntary Organization which is located and working in this State and which is adjudged the best Voluntary Organization of the year for the performance of science popularization activities. The prize consists of cash amount of Rs. 50,000/- along with a silver plaque and a certificate of honour.

Gopal Chandra Bhattacharyya Smriti Puraskar :

Awarded annually to a person as a token recognition of his/her notable contribution in the field of science popularization and performance in disseminating science from the libraries and laboratories to the common people of West Bengal for the last 20 years. The prize consists of cash amount of Rs. 50,000/- along with a silver plaque and a certificate of honour.

State Innovation Award :

One of the State Awards of this Department, namely, State Innovation Award (SIA) was introduced in the year 2006 to encourage, recognize, honour & reward grass root technological innovations developed by the unorganized sector of the state. SIA is given to three grass root innovators and one outstanding scout during the subsequent State Science & Technology Congress. The best innovator is given a cash award of Rs. 21,000/-, the second best innovator is given a cash award of Rs. 11,000/-, the third best innovator is given a cash award of Rs. 5,000/- and the outstanding scout is given a cash award of Rs. 5,000/- only. All the four awardees are also given a certificate of honour and a plaque.

The Science and Technology Department of the Government of West Bengal was set up in 1988. The State Remote Sensing Centre of the State of West Bengal was established under Department of Science and Technology, Govt. of West Bengal in 1990, subsequently it has renamed as Geoinformatics & Remote Sensing Cell.

Through Remote Sensing and Geographic Information Systems the Department plays an exceptionally important role in providing state-of-the-art tools and documents to assist Government Departments and Agencies in improving their planning execution and monitoring process.

Some of the Projects activities in this sector are undertaken in partnership with the National Remote Sensing Centre, Indian Space Research Organization of the Government of India, Department of Science & Technology, Government of India, Different line Departments of the State Government and other State and National Organizations.

Objectives

Major Application Fields

Map Sales Activity

The Department of Science and Technology & Biotechnology (DSTBT), Government of West Bengal (GOWB), has a scheme named Research Fellowship Award implemented by West Bengal State Council of Science & Technology. This has got approval from Dept. of Finance, Govt. of West Bengal.

Prestigious Research Fellowship Award (RFA) is focused to provide better scope for research on subjects relevant to this State. There are five Research Fellowship Awards to be given in the name of five pioneer scientists from Bengal, who are actually icon of science in India and abroad. These includes

• Jagadish Chandra Bose Fellowship (Life Science/Tele communication)
• Acharya Prafulla Chandra Ray Fellowship (Chemical Science)
• Meghnad Saha Fellowship (River Science)
• Satyandra Nath Bose Fellowship (Theoretical Physics)
• Upendra Nath Brahmchari Fellowship (Health Science)

This scheme will give opportunity to the students of West Bengal for persuasion of higher degree, required for their academic career. Target people for RFA are students who have completed their post graduate degree and trying to build their career in scientific research and pursue Ph.D. degree at the same time. Each fellowship provides financial support for maximum five years (first 2 years as Junior Research Fellow (JRF) and last 3 years as Senior Research Fellow (SRF), subject to the annual performances) or submission of Ph.D. thesis whichever is earlier. The remuneration of the JRF & SRF will be the same to that of Dept. of Science and Technology and Biotechnology, Govt. of West Bengal.

The Department of Science and Technology & Biotechnology (DSTBT), Government of West Bengal (GOWB), has a scheme named Research Grant Award implemented by West Bengal State Council of Science & Technology.

Project proposal under this scheme will be considered to take forward which has a reference to a predefined seminal work done under Government/Private sponsorship, leading to defined application. Major programme of extension based on proven technologies only to be considered for support, where a value-addition of a product or process re-engineering is proposed. The project proposal will help the State of West Bengal in the fulfilment of its socio-economic objectives with expected outcome. No proposal for fresh research will be considered.

I. Type of Award:

There are two types of Research Grant Awards in the name of

1. Rabindranath Tagore Award (for Science Education)

2. Swami Vivekananda Award (for Generating Scientific Temperament & Social Welfare)

II. List of broad category of subject areas under the scheme:

1. Agriculture

2. Animal and Fishery Sciences

3. Biological Sciences

4. Biotechnology including rural Biotechnology

5. Environment, Ecology (including Medicinal Plants) and Climate Change

6. Physical Sciences

7. Mathematics

8. Chemical Sciences

9. Engineering and Technology

10. Medical Sciences including Pubic Health

11. Energy and Allied Sciences

12. Earth Sciences including Geoinformatics

13. Water Resources including Conservation

III. Total Award Value:

Research Grant Award is tenable for a maximum period of three years, subject to completion of the project whichever is earlier. Each grant award provides financial support of Rs. 5.00 lakh per annum summing up of Rs.15.00 lakh for three years. No financial assistance will be provided other than the amount mentioned above or beyond the stipulated period.

ABCD is a biotechnology based societal development programme which was introduced by the erstwhile Dept. of Biotechnology, GoWB during the year 2016-17 and now has been taken up by this Department. The Programme was aimed for Societal Development to benefit rural and backward class and women, through training & demonstration and skill development, introducing science breakthroughs, for livelihood, self-employment and income generation. Fund support was provided to Colleges, Universities and reputed NGOs for implementation of simple, proven and field-tested biotechnological interventions in a sustainable manner. The projects are expected to bring out the social and monetary benefits to the target populace through technology transfer using locally available resources.

Targeted for better effectiveness and wider societal impact, recently, the programme has been improvised with the following features:

1. To bring in latest techniques to disseminate, over the conventional methods thereby enhancing productivity.

2. To give more focus on tangible outcome, i.e., practical no. of beneficiaries come to be selfemployed.

3. To hunt for latest technologies, suitable to implement in rural areas, from Academic and Research Organizations and from both Public and Private Sector.

4. To conduct the programme in a holistic way from training to handholding support to set up businesses by the beneficiaries.

In view of the above, Expression-of-Interest (EoI) has been called from Academic Institutions / Colleges / Universities / Research Institutions / Scientific Organizations / Private Agencies to transfer the existing Biotechnologies for Societal Welfare.

Last Date of Submission of EoI : 30.09.2021