Indian Society of Rheology

Indian Society of Rheology
Name	Indian Society of Rheology
Formation	1973
Headquarters	Kolkata
Region served	India
Leader title	President

Indian Society of Rheology is a professional association devoted to the study and promotion of rheology across academic, industrial, and governmental institutions in India. It functions as a focal forum linking researchers from Indian Institute of Science, IIT Kanpur, IISc Bangalore, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, and industrial laboratories such as CSIR establishments and corporate research centers. The Society connects with international bodies including the Society of Rheology (U.S.), British Society of Rheology, European Society of Rheology, International Union of Rheology, and regional partner institutions like Asian Congress on Rheology affiliates.

History

The Society traces its origins to gatherings of rheologists in Kolkata, Chennai, Mumbai, and Delhi during the late 1960s and early 1970s, influenced by seminal meetings at Indian Institute of Science and technical symposia at Fluid Mechanics Conference (IUTAM). Formal establishment in 1973 followed organizational precedents set by bodies such as the Indian Chemical Society, Indian Physical Society, Indian Institute of Chemical Engineers, and Indian Science Congress Association. Early leadership included prominent figures from Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, IIT Madras, Central Leather Research Institute, and the National Chemical Laboratory, which helped establish links with international events like the International Congress of Rheology and national programs at the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research.

Objectives and Activities

The Society's objectives encompass promotion of experimental and theoretical work in areas promoted by laboratories such as CSIR-NCL, IIT Bombay, and IIT Delhi; dissemination of advances seen in conferences like the Society of Rheology Annual Meeting; and fostering industrial applications across sectors represented by Bajaj Auto, Tata Motors, Indian Oil Corporation, and Hindustan Petroleum. Activities include organizing symposia that mirror topics from American Physical Society topical meetings, supporting workshops modeled after National Academy of Sciences training schools, and facilitating technology transfer akin to programs at the Technology Information, Forecasting and Assessment Council and Defence Research and Development Organisation laboratories.

Membership and Governance

Membership draws scientists from institutions such as IIT Kharagpur, IIT Guwahati, Jawaharlal Nehru University, University of Delhi, Banaras Hindu University, and industries including Reliance Industries, ONGC, BHEL, and Larsen & Toubro. Governance follows a constitution with elected posts of President, Secretary, Treasurer, and an Executive Committee, reflecting governance models of Indian National Science Academy and Indian Academy of Sciences. Election cycles and statutes reference practices similar to those at Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers regional sections and national learned societies like Indian Mathematical Society.

Conferences and Seminars

The Society convenes national conferences that attract participants linked to IIT Roorkee, IIT Hyderabad, IIT Madras, and IISER Pune, as well as international visitors from Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, CNRS, ETH Zurich, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Sessions cover themes comparable to programs at the World Congress on Computational Mechanics, Annual Meeting of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, and workshops echoing the Gordon Research Conferences format. Special seminars have been co-located with events at Indian Chemical Engineering Congress, Materials Research Society of India meetings, and thematic schools organized in partnership with International Centre for Theoretical Physics.

Publications and Journals

The Society supports dissemination through bulletins, conference proceedings, and newsletters circulated among centers such as IIT Madras, IIT Kanpur, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, and CSIR-NCL. It encourages members to publish in journals linked to rheology and soft matter research including Journal of Rheology, Rheologica Acta, Journal of Non-Newtonian Fluid Mechanics, Soft Matter (journal), and multidisciplinary periodicals like Proceedings of the Indian National Science Academy and Current Science. Publication practices align with editorial standards used by the Royal Society of Chemistry, American Chemical Society, and Elsevier-published titles.

Awards and Recognitions

To recognize excellence, the Society grants medals and citations named for pioneering contributors from institutions like IIT Bombay, IIT Madras, IIT Kharagpur, and CSIR. Awards echo the structure of prizes conferred by Indian National Science Academy, Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize, M. N. Saha Medal-type recognitions, and fellowships modeled on those from Department of Science and Technology (India). Recipients frequently include scientists affiliated with Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, CSIR-CLRI, and international collaborators from Imperial College London and University of Cambridge.

Collaborations and Outreach

Collaborative links extend to academic units like IIT Delhi, IIT Bombay, IISc Bangalore, national laboratories such as CSIR-NML, and international centers including Max Planck Society, CNRS, and National Institute of Standards and Technology. Outreach initiatives target industrial sectors represented by Indian Oil Corporation, Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited, Steel Authority of India Limited, and technical education through partnerships with All India Council for Technical Education-affiliated colleges and research training programs inspired by UNESCO and World Bank capacity-building models. The Society also engages in public-facing events similar to those organized by Indian Science Congress Association and collaborates on standards efforts comparable to Bureau of Indian Standards committees.

Category:Rheology organizations