Who Is Nallathamby Kalaiselvi? First Female Director General Of India's Top Scientific Body

Electrochemical Scientist Nallathamby Kalaiselvi has become the first female director general of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR). The largest research and development organisation in India was established by the government in 1942.

Nallathamby Kalaiselvi will succeed Shekhar Mande as the director general of CSIR. The scientist is currently the director of the CSIR-Central Electrochemical Research Institute at Karaikudi in Tamil Nadu. She will also hold the position of secretary of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research.

Kalaiselvi is the first female director general of CSIR in its 80 years since inception. She will lead a network of 38 state-run national laboratories, 39 outreach centres, and 3 innovation complexes. CSIR has 3,460 active scientists supported by 4,350 scientific and technical personnel.

Kalaiselvi is set to serve as director general of CSIR for two years with effect from the date she takes charge of the post or until further orders.

Who Is Nallathamby Kalaiselvi?

• Nallathamby Kalaiselvi hauls from Ambasamudhram, in the district of Tirunelveli in Tamil Nadu. She did her schooling in Tamil medium, which she said helped her prepare for scientific concepts in college.
• She began her career in research as an entry-level scientist at CSIR and will now lead the organisation as director general.
• Kalaiselvi’s research primarily focused on electrochemical power systems. Her work included research on lithium batteries, a key to India’s aim to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2070.
• Kalaiselvi’s research also includes work on beyond lithium batteries, which are used in electric vehicles. She has also done research on supercapacitors and waste-to-wealth driven electrodes, electrolytes for energy storage and electrocatalytic applications.
• She is currently involved in the development of practically viable Sodium-ion/Lithium-sulfur batteries and supercapacitors.
• With 125 research papers and 6 patents, she has made key contributions to the National Mission for Electric Mobility.
• In 2019, she became the first woman to lead the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research’s Central Electrochemical Research Institute (CSIR-CECRI). She is currently the director of CSIR-CECRI.
• Kalaiselvi has also made significant contributions to the National Mission for Electric Mobility.

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