CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine (CSIR-IIIM), Jammu, hosted an expert lecture on ‘Ethics of Science’ by Padma Bhushan Prof. P. Balaram, former Director of the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore and one of India’s most renowned Biochemists. The lecture, conducted in hybrid mode, was part of the CSIR Standing Publications, Ethics and Scientific Vigilance Committee (SEC) Lecture Series and attended by S&T staff, students from IIIM and participants from R&D and academic institutions across India.

Delivering his lecture, Prof. Balaram combined humour, history and critical questions to explore the evolving meaning of ethics in science. He highlighted ethical dilemmas in contemporary research, including questionable publication practices, disputes over data, challenges in translational research, and the pressure of rankings and impact factors. He emphasized that the global shift from curiosity-driven “night science” to metrics-driven “day science” has contributed to ethical lapses and stressed that ethical responsibility extends beyond scientists to all professions.

In his welcome address, Dr. Zabeer Ahmed, Director, CSIR-IIIM, remarked on the significance of the event as the first of its kind in the Union Territory and highlighted major CSIR initiatives, including AI-based drug discovery, AI integration in crop improvement, and discussions at the recent CSIR-ISRO Joint Meeting on advancing non-engineering sciences in zero-gravity research.

Dr. Viswajanani J. Sattigeri, Head TKDL and Chairperson of SEC-CSIR, introduced Prof. Balaram, recounting his five-decade-long contributions to chemistry, molecular biophysics, and institution-building, including his tenure as Director of IISc and his national and international awards such as the Padma Bhushan and Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize. The lecture concluded with an interactive session with participants. Proceedings were conducted by Dr. Gurleen Kaur, and the vote of thanks was presented by Principal Scientist Dr. Sumit Gandhi.