New Delhi, April 7 (IANS): Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called for laying down parameters to assess the performance of laboratories belonging to the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), an official statement said on Thursday.

At a meeting with the CSIR society on Wednesday, the prime minister was given an overview of the work done by the council in addressing national challenges and its recognition as a major Indian innovator, said the statement.

The CSIR society, presided over by the prime minister, runs a network of 38 laboratories, 39 outreach centres, three 'innovation complexes' and five units. It's a body under the overall supervision of the Ministry of Science and Technology.

"Members mentioned the potential that exists for a large number of start-ups to emerge from the research being done by CSIR labs. They stressed the importance of converting lab research to commercial applications," said the statement. 

Medical device manufacturing, energy and waste management were some of the areas mentioned where the CSIR could play a key role.

The prime minister called for laying down parameters to assess the performance of CSIR labs and setting up a mechanism whereby there could be internal competition among various labs.

He asked the scientific community at CSIR to list at least 100 problems being faced by people in various parts of India and take up the challenge of solving them technologically within a specified time period.

Modi said that the CSIR could take a lead in providing breakthroughs in areas like sickle-cell anaemia among the tribal people, defence equipment manufacturing, life-saving equipment for the soldiers and innovations related to solar energy and the agriculture sector.

"The prime minister emphasised that he would like to see the CSIR oriented towards making the life of the common man better and providing technological solutions to the problems of the poor," the statement added.