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Prof. Amulya Kumar N Reddy |
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Institutions |
Institutions At different stages of his profession,
Amulya has been associated with different institutions. Some of the major
associations are mentioned. The
Central Electrochemical Research Institute (www.cecri-india.com)
The Central Electrochemical Research
Institute (CECRI) is among the chain of forty national laboratories under
the aegis of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), New
Delhi. Founded on 25 July 1948 at Karaikudi in Tamil Nadu, it came into
existence in January 1953. During the last five decades, CECRI has been
recognised as the premier institution for R&D in the field of
Electrochemical Science and Technology, not only in India but also in
South East Asia, with a total strength of over 600 personnel comprising
scientists, engineers, technologists, skilled workers, administrative and
other staff, with a combined laboratory space of 4,00,000 sq.ft. in a
campus of 300 acres. There are four extension centers for CECRI located at
Chennai, Cochin, Mandapam and Tuticorin. Amulya worked at CECRI as a Senior
Scientific Officer during 1958-61. Indian
Institute of Science (http://www.iisc.ernet.in/)
The Indian Institute of Science (IISc),
Bangalore, was started in 1909 due to the pioneering vision of J.N. Tata.
IISc has grown into a premier institution of research and advanced
instruction, with more than 2,000 active researchers working in almost all
frontier areas of science and technology. IISc is an institute of higher
learning, constantly in pursuit of excellence. It is one of the oldest and
finest centres of its kind in India, with international standing in the
academic world. Amulya was with the IISc from 1966, till
he retired in 1991. Department of Inorganic & Physical
Chemistry, IISc, Bangalore. (http://ipc.iisc.ernet.in/) In 1966, he joined as Assistant Professor
in the Department and worked till 1974. ASTRA (http://www.astra.iisc.ernet.in/)
The Center for Sustainable Technology
(CST) was established in 1974, under the name of ASTRA with the basic
objective of correcting the strong urban bias of R&D in Science and
Engineering. Many projects in the areas of energy, buildings and small
industry have been pursued under the CST umbrella. CST has received
support from IISc and the bulk of this work has been carried out through
external funding. The main areas are: bio-energy, biogas, gasification,
fuel-efficient stoves and driers, water purification, renewable energy,
climate change, forestry and alternative and low-cost buildings. The CST
has also been carrying out extension activities at its Ungra Centre,
located about 110km from Bangalore in Kunigal taluk of Tumkur district.
“After
almost two decades in the field of electrochemistry, I felt that, like
most of the work in advanced institutions of education, science and
technology, my own work was largely irrelevant to India's poor, the
majority of whom live in villages. I also felt that I should reorient my
efforts towards technologies for rural development. Such a viewpoint found
sympathy from many other colleagues at the Indian Institute of Science.
This shared vision led, in 1974, to the formulating and implementation of
the ASTRA programme, through which it was hoped that the application of
science and technology would be a weapon (or “asthra” in Sanskrit) in
the interests of the poor.” (from ‘Lessons
from ASTRA's Experience of Technologies for Rural Development’, Amulya
1988) Amulya was the founder convener of ASTRA.
Later, he was associated with it as a project convener and advisor.
Department of Management Studies,
IISc, Bangalore. (http://mgmt.iisc.ernet.in/)
In 1985, on his return from a
15-month sabbatical at Princeton, USA, Amulya took over as chairman
of the department. He continued to be associated with ASTRA. Karnataka
State Council for Science & Technology (KSCST).
(http://kscst.org.in)
The KSCST was established as a registered
society in 1975, to develop need-based science and technology inputs for
development. The chief minister of Karnataka heads the council, comprising
eminent scientists and administrators, who act as a bridge between
generators of technology and its users. The council achieves its
objectives through projects and programs in collaboration with academic,
research and technical institutions of the state. Amulya was involved in setting up the
Karnataka State Council for Science & Technology with M.Y. Ghorpade
(then Finance Minister of Karnataka) and Satish Dhawan. Amulya was the
secretary and later vice-chairman of KSCST. International
Energy Initiative.
(http://www.ieiglobal.org/)
The International Energy Initiative (IEI)
was set up in 1991. Its mission is to build local capacity and analysis
and to engage, locally and globally, so as to promote energy for
sustainable development. Energy is of critical importance to
development, economic growth, balance of payments, peace, national and
regional environmental protection and the global climate. Energy,
therefore, is central to current concerns about sustainable development.
The efficient production and use of energy, in an environmentally sound
way, is essential to tackling these concerns and defining a path to
sustainable development, based on equity, empowerment, environmental
harmony and economic efficiency. |
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