Q) Discuss the India's relation with CERN?

1.  India’s involvement in CERN(European Organisation for Nuclear Research) began in the 1960s with researchers from the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai, participating in experiments at CERN. 

2. In the 1990s, scientists from Raja Ramanna Centre for Advanced Technology, Indore, too got involved.

3. Researchers from TIFR, Raja Ramanna Centre for Advanced Technology and other institutes built components for an accelerator (LEP) and detectors (L3, WA93 and WA89). 
IIT-Madras is also actively involved in the LICE and CMS experiments.

4. India was granted Observer status to the CERN Council in 2002.

5. Now, India got Associate member status, which was declared by the Sekhar Basu, Chairman of the atomic energy commission and secretary to the dept of atomic energy.

(note:-
To be the associate member, India has to pledge 11.5 million Swiss francs, which 10% of the member's pledge.)

What India gets by being an associate member?

• Becoming associate member of CERN will enhance participation of young scientists and engineers in various CERN projects and bring back knowledge for deployment in the domestic programmes. It will also provide opportunities to Indian industries to participate directly in CERN projects.
• From now onwards, India can take part in meetings of the CERN Council and its committees (Finance Committee and Scientific Policy Committee). 
• Indian industry will be entitled to bid for CERN contracts, which will open up opportunities for industrial collaboration in areas of advanced technology. 
• Indian scientists will become eligible for staff appointments.

What are contributions of India to the CERN:-

1. Indian physicists, engineers and technicians have made substantial contributions to the construction of the LHC accelerator and to the ALICE and CMS experiments, as well as to accelerator R&D projects.
2.  Researchers from TIFR, Raja Ramanna Centre for Advanced Technology and other institutes built components for an accelerator (LEP) and detectors (L3, WA93 and WA89).

Note:-

q) Where is the HQ of the European Organisation for Nuclear Research?

- Geneva, Switzerland.


Little Information on CERN:-

- It is founded in 1954, the CERN laboratory sits astride the Franco-Swiss border near Geneva. It was one of Europe's first joint ventures and now has 22 member states.

- CERN COUNCIL is the Organization’s supreme decision-making authority and is composed of two delegates from each of CERN’s twenty-two Member States and determines the Organization’s policy in scientific, technical and administrative matters.

- The Scientific Policy Committee (SPC) and the Finance Committee (FC) are the two main advisory bodies of the Council and meet in the days leading up to the Council Session.