Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR) is an autonomous institution that was established in 1989 by the Department of Science and Technology, GoI to commemorate the birth centenary year of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. Bharat Ratna Prof. C. N. R. Rao, FRS, was the founding President. The Centre was registered as a society with Dr. Raja Ramanna (eminent physicist and Former Chairman, DAE) as its first Chairman. The Centre was recognized as an Institution Deemed to be University by University Grants Commission, GoI in the year 2002. Prof. Giridhar U. Kulkarni is the current President of the Centre with the Governing Council being chaired by Prof. Goverdhan Mehta, FRS. The Council of Management oversees all major activities of the Centre including granting of degrees, appointment of new faculty and initiation of new programmes. The Academic Advisory Committee (AAC) of the Centre monitors the teaching programmes and award of degrees. The institution is headed by the President and assisted by the Administrative Officer and other Officers who are in-charge of their respective departments. Four Deans oversee the activities of the Academic Section, Extension Programmes, Research and Development, and Faculty Affairs.

Research at the Centre is carried out in Units (departments) which are divided based on primary research focus. These Units are Chemistry and Physics of Materials, Engineering Mechanics, Evolutionary and Integrative Biology, Molecular Biology and Genetics, Theoretical Sciences, New Chemistry, Geodynamics, Neurosciences and Education Technology. In addition, the International Centre for Materials Science, established by funding from Department of Science and Technology fosters collaborative research. Though divided into distinct units, the research at JNCASR is highly interdisciplinary and collaborative in nature. Being an academic institution of higher learning, the primary goal of JNCASR is to produce well trained Ph.D. and Master of Science students. Over the past 30 years, some of our alumni have secured key positions in academia and industry.

JNCASR has received numerous accolades and recognitions at both national and international levels. The Centre has also been accredited with NAAC A++ grade (3.76 out of 4 points) which reflects our position among the top educational institutions in India in the area of higher education and research. JNCASR has received 4th Rank among Universities and 11th in overall category for 2017 in NIRF Ranking. Nature Index in 2020 ranked JNCASR, 4th under life sciences and 10th under chemistry and physical sciences categories among the academic institutions in India, and globally, 469th in the academic sector being 11th from India. Scimago Institutions Ranking 2020 ranked JNCASR, 3rd across all sectors in India, and 1st under higher education sector. Both in 2017 and 2018, JNCASR received the Clarivate Analytics India Innovation Award.

The Centre’s faculty members have also received numerous prestigious national and international awards. Their research has drawn global attention and has been recognized both in the form of granted patents (national and international), memberships and fellowships to prestigious associations in the country and overseas, and nominations as visiting faculty at universities world over.

The Centre also places equal emphasis on programmes of societal relevance. Summer Research Fellowship Programme (SRFP) initiated in 1991 has run uninterruptedly for the past 30 years. The success of the programme led to the launch of several other initiatives targeting undergraduate students. Students selected under Project Oriented Education Programmes in Chemistry and Biology get an extended training every summer over a three year period. Apart from summer training which covers only a limited sub-set of the student community of India, the Education Technology Unit along with the C N R Rao Hall of Science, with assistance from the faculty of the Centre has expanded the coverage of outreach activities to encompass less-privileged parts of the country.

Apart from advancing our understanding of nature, a key responsibility of any research institution is the translation its findings for the benefit of humankind. Since its inception, JNCASR has generated over 300 patents and promoted establishment of a few startups based on indigenous inventions. In recognition of these achievements, the Centre has been awarded with Indian Patent Office (IPO) Motivation Award for 2015 in National Intellectual Property Awards in recognition of its significant achievements in the field of patent-oriented R&D and IP promotion.

JNCASR is now one the leading Centres of scientific research with growing capability in translational activities, with a strong commitment to its outreach activities for the promotion of science in the country. This is the place to be for a budding scientist.