Basic Sciences Committee (BSC)
  
1 Nuclear Physics, particle and high energy physics.
2 Nuclear and radiochemistry and related chemistry of actinides and lanthanides.
3. Selected areas of solid state physics: Transport and structural properties, electronic states, superconductivity, disordered and ion implanted materials, high pressure studies, studies using nuclear techniques.
4. Chemical dynamics: Fast reactions in chemistry, including radiation and photochemical aspects, laser stimulated reactions, isotope effects, hot atom chemistry, surface science, including catalysis etc.
5. Thermodynamic parameters at high temperatures of transition and actinide elements.
6. Plasma physics.
7. Fusion physics.
8. Neutronics related to fission and fusion reactors.
9. Nuclear energy related programmes.
10.  Health and Environment
     i) Cellular and molecular basis of neoplasia, genetic disorders, reproductive and developmental biology.
     ii) Mechanisms of radiation (low-level) action on cells and organisms, radiation hormesis, adaptive response, role of oxygen and free radicals, signal transduction, gene expression, apoptosis.
     iii) Molecular Immunology of occupational and degenerative diseases.
     iv)  Modification of radiation health effects at initiation, promotion and therapeutic levels (relevant cell and molecular biology).
     v) Mechanisms and modulation of mutagenesis, natural mutagens and antimutagens and their implications for control of environmental diseases.
     vi) Nuclear medicine and radiation therapy.
     vii) Trace elements in health and disease.
11. Radiation and other environmental stress on photosynthetic systems, energy transfer in photosystems, senscence.
     i) Mechanisms and monitoring systems - cellular, biochemical, molecular and immunological level.
     ii) Epidemiology, human surveillance and risk assessment.
12. Programmes otherwise considered to be highly innovative/futuristic in biological and medical sciences.

Defect solid state and interactions of defects with consequent, property changes.
Radiation effects on materials especially defect generation, annihilation, property changes such as hardening, corrosion resistance sinterability etc.
Structural studies involving optical electron and X-ray techniques. Influence of thermal,mechanical and compositional variations on structure. Phase transformations and phase equilibria as affected by the above variables.
Mechanical behaviour of materials and the role of the structural changes on the mechanical properties of materials. Composites and their properties.
Fracture characteristics of materials. The influence of structure on the fracture mode of materials.
Reduction reactions in the extraction of rare, reactive and refractory metals.
Thermochemistry and thermodynamics of reaction.
Purification and vacuum processing of metals and alloys.
Metal-slag reactions.
Refractory oxides, carbides and nitrides. Their preparation and properties.
Thermal and electrical properties of ceramics.
Powder Metallurgy and sintering behaviour of powders.
Corrosion and stress corrosion cracking.
Engineering aspects of electrochemical systems and cathodic protection.
Electroplating.
Electrometallurgical processes for extraction and purification of metals and alloys.

Production-oriented basic and applied research in plants.
Fertiliser and water use efficiency of crops.
Biological nitrogen fixation.
Micronutrient research in relation to plants and animals.
Microbial transformation of minerals.
Environmental pollution.
Photosynthesis and solar energy utilisation.
Biomass production.
Plant and animal tissue culture.
Regulation  of protein and carbohydrate synthesis  in  cultivated ?
plants.
Reproductive physiology of milch animals.
Rumen metabolism.
Post-harvest storage of foods and minimisation of losses.

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