IIIM hosts expert lecture on ‘Ethics of Science’ by India’s renowned Scientist, Prof. P. Balaram

JAMMU: CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, (CSIR-IIIM) today hosted an expert lecture on ‘Ethics of Science’ by Padma Bhushan Prof. P. Balaram, Former Director of Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore and the country’s renowned Biochemist. The talk was a part of  CSIR Standing Publications, Ethics and Scientific Vigilance Committee (SEC), lecture series was in  hybrid mode and was attended by S&T staff, students from the institute and across the R&D and academic institutions across India .

Delivering his lecture, Prof. Balaram very lucidly blended humour, history and hard questions while unpacking the evolving meanings of “ethics in science”.  Prof. Balaram, in his talk, narrated different ethical dilemmas faced in the field of scientific research. From questionable publication practices to disputes over data, from translational research to the obsession with rankings and impact factors, he said contemporary science faces numerous ethical challenges.

He said the global shift from curiosity-driven “night science” to metrics-driven “day science” has also played a role in the erosion of scientific integrity. He spoke about recent controversies involving research agencies, emphasising that many problems emerge not only from ethical lapses but also from poor methodology and institutional pressures. Ethics, he argued, should not be viewed as a scientists-only responsibility, but as a universal concern across professions.

Earlier, Dr. Zabeer Ahmed, Director CSIR-IIIM, Jammu, in the welcome address said that the occasion is significant not only because it marked the first such programme in the Union Territory, but also because it featured one of India’s most respected scientific leaders as the speaker. Dr Ahmed highlighted major scientific developments across CSIR, including the AI drug discovery programme, the integration of artificial intelligence in crop improvement and discussions held recently during the CSIR–ISRO Joint Meeting on advancing non-engineering sciences to work at zero gravity. He thanked former IISc Director and eminent biochemist Prof. P. Balaram for accepting the invitation despite a challenging schedule.

Dr. Viswajanani J. Sattigeri, Head TKDL, and Chairperson Standing Publications, Ethics and Scientific Vigilance Committee (SEC), CSIR, introduced Prof. Balaram and recounted his five-decade-long contributions to chemistry, molecular biophysics and institution-building. She spoke about his tenure as Director of the Indian Institute of Science, his role in shaping India’s research culture, and the national and international honours he has received, including the Padma Bhushan and the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize. She thanked Dr Ahmed and IIIM Jammu for hosting the lecture.

The lecture was followed by an engaging interaction with participants. Proceedings were conducted by Dr Gurleen Kaur, while the vote of thanks was presented by principal Scientist  Dr Sumit Gandhi. The session was attended by CSIR scientists, scholars and members of CSIR-IIM Jammu.