Department of Science & Technology in the State has been created during 1996 mainly for Research and Development in various identified areas relevant to the state, generation of scientific awareness and also for transfer of appropriate technologies for economic upliftment of the weaker section of the society.
Further, Sikkim State Council of Science & Technology was also created keeping in view the importance of Science & Technology for overall development of the state and with a view to provide sufficient autonomy for implementation of various scientific programmes. The Council takes up various programmes funded by the State Government as well as projects funded by the Government of India agencies like the Department of Science & Technology, Ministry of Environment & Forests, Department of Bio-technology and Department of Space as well. The Sikkim State Council of Science & Technology is the functional arm of State Science & Technology Department for implementation of various scientific programmes in the State.
The Department of Science and Technology has taken up through the Sikkim State Council of Science & Technology various scientific programmes related to (i) Bio-Technology (Bioinformatics & Tissue Culture, Medicinal Plants, Scientific programme on Planting Stock Improvement; Establishment of Sikkim Biotechnology Research and Application Centre) (ii) Glaciers and Climate Studies (iii) Environmental Information System; (iv) Patent Information Centre; (v) Remote Sensing and GIS; and (vi) Technology Transfer and Scientific Awareness, Capacity Building and Skill Development programmes.
The broad objectives of the Sikkim State Council of Science & Technology are as under:
• To increase the Science & Technology infrastructure for meeting the challenging demands in basic research, technological development and scientific services.
• To identify the areas where Science & Technology intervention could significantly improve the existing socio-economic conditions.
• To identify areas of long term development of the State by ensuring application of science and technology developed so far.
• Pilot scale demonstration projects.
• Replication of success models and undertaking pilot scale demonstrations projects.
• Develop appropriate mechanisms for reducing the time lag between an invention and its commercialization.
• To supplement the efforts of the State Government in implementing various projects whenever and wherever called for.
• To popularize technologies and initiate scientific attitude and temperament amongst the people of the State through awareness and training programmes.
• To facilitate the scientists and the entrepreneurs in promoting technology transfers, establishing a strong relationship among the academics, research institutes and industry, guidance for developing entrepreneurship.