The Centre for Liquid Crystal Research (CLCR) is an autonomous research institute of the Department of Science & Technology, Govt. of India. It was established in 1991 by Prof.S.Chandrasekhar, FRS as a scientific society registered in Karnataka with the following aims and objectives :

• To build a centre of excellence which will have a focus on basic science, and would also develop a bias towards technology, keeping in line with the international trends on liquid crystals materials and devices. In addition to basic research on the physical properties of the liquid crystals, the Centre will undertake projects on the application of liquid crystals.
• To undertake, carry on, develop and/or promote in every possible and conceivable manner advanced research in the field of liquid crystals and to contribute to the advancement of scientific knowledge in these subjects.
• To undertake and develop techniques for inventing or discovering new products, processes in the field of liquid crystals for the benefit of mankind in general and India in particular.

Sivaramakrishna Chandrasekhar, founder and now director emeritus of the Centre for Liquid Crystal Research, Bangalore, India, helped organise a meeting on discotic liquid crystals, held at ICTP, on 25-29 November 2002. More than an organiser, Chandrasekhar attended the meeting as an honoured guest. That's because some 25 years ago, Chandrasekhar published a 'pathbreaking' paper in the Indian physics journal Pramana, reporting the first synthesis of discotic liquid crystals.

Such crystals display unique part-liquid/part-solid 'mesophases.' Chandrasekhar's team found that these disc-like molecules, which he prefers to describe as poker chips, could be ordered as columns in a two-dimensional hexagonal lattice that is crystal-like (solid) in its horizontal direction, but liquid-like in its vertical direction. As a result, discotic liquid crystals embody a blend of stability (solidness) and fluctuation (liquidness).

Opening up a new liquid-crystal class, distinct from those arising from previously known rod-like molecules, his discovery has attracted increasing interest over the past decade. It is now estimated that as many as 3000 discotic molecules have been created in laboratories worldwide and that an even larger number of scientific papers have been written on the subject. In addition to conference presentations by scientists from Cambridge University (UK), the Max Planck Institute (Germany), the University of Bologna (Italy), Shinshu University (Japan), the Weizmann Institute of Science (Israel) and the Naval Research Laboratory (USA), work presented by Fuji Co.'s industrial lab indicated growing interest in applications of discotics--for example, in liquid crystal computer displays.

Elected a fellow of the Royal Society and a recipient of many other honours, Chandrasekhar nevertheless has remained steadfastly modest. While delighted to see his molecules arousing such widespread interest, he still prefers to focus on their fascinating behaviour rather than their potential applications in the world of high technology.

"My attitude," says Chandrasekhar, "hasn't made me a rich man, but it has made me a happy one. I've been able to fulfill the dream of discovery. No scientist could ask for more."

The Centre made a humble beginning with ad-hoc grants from the Department of Science & Technology, Government of India, in the form of project grants of SERC and a small grant given by the Raman Research Institute Trust. In 1995, the Planning Commission decided to fund the Centre and brought it under the administrative control of the then Department of Electronics (DoE), Govt. of India to act as a Centre of Excellence for research and development in the area of liquid crystal materials. CLCR then moved to its present location with the land and building provided by Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), Bangalore. Today, CLCR is equipped with state-of-the-art equipments and facilities which are on par with the best of such facilities in this area, anywhere in the world and has carried out research on a variety of topics including synthesis and characterization of a host of liquid crystal materials. It has been active in both the basic and applied aspects of research on liquid crystals, a prominent soft condensed matter. The Centre has actively provided R&D support to BEL in its LCD manufacturing activity. BEL has been its industrial partner in a major initiative by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) for new and fast LCDs. Recently CLCR has signed an MoU with M/s. Vision Multimedia Technology Ltd. (VMTL), Japan in connection with transfer of technology of a device invented in its laboratory.

DESCRIPTION OF THE CENTRE

A proposal to build a Centre of Excellence which will have focus on basic sciences and would also develop a bias towards technology keeping in line with international trends on liquid crystal materials and devices was approved. In tune with the accepted principles of the Planning Commission to build such Centres around persons of eminence - in this case Prof. S.Chandrasekhar, the then Director of CLCR -Government of India, MIT in February 1995, sanctioned take over of the Centre as a Scientific Society under its administrative control with Budgetary support ofRs. 2.85 crores for the eighth plan. This has been continued with a budgetary support of Rs. 8.50 crores for the ninth plan.

The Centre has also undertaken two externally aided some other agencies are keen to collaborate with the Centre. At present twelve experienced Scientists all with Doctoral degrees are involved in conducting research on various aspects of the Liquid Crystals and their applications. Since the Centre was established in March 1995 after its inauguration by Hon. Sri K.R.Narayanan, President of India. Since then 54 scientific papers have been published in national and inter-national journals and applications for 3 Indian and 4 International patents have been filed.

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