At the instance of the Planning Commission, Department of Science and Technology, Government of India (DST, GoI) launched a scheme entitled Assistance for Development of State Council for Science and Technology in the Sixth Five Year Plan. The main objectives of the scheme were to assist all the States / Union Territories to set up State Councils of Science and Technology which could act as a focal point for the formulation, planning, coordination and promotion of Science and Technology activities within their respective States.

In January 1981, the DST, GoI organized the first All India Workshop at Bangalore on the establishment of State Councils of Science and Technology in the States to arrive at consensus objectives and organizational structures. The consensus opinion was to set up State Councils as an autonomous body with the Chief Minister as Chairman.

The West Bengal Government created the Science and Technology Department (DST, GoWB) in 1988. The West Bengal State Council of Science and Technology (WBSCST) was also constituted in the same year as an advisory body with the Chief Minister as Chairman.

The DST, GoWB has a small Secretariat, but not any Directorate office. The WBSCST was only an advisory body without any autonomous character or executive power. Accordingly, depending upon the West Bengal Societies Registration Act, 1961 a draft Memorandum for the Society for the West Bengal State Council of Science and Technology was prepared. This was approved by the Chief Minister on 1.2.1991. The Governor of West Bengal also desired that the State Council should function as an autonomous body and the Chief Minister kindly agreed to that view.

West Bengal State Council of Science and Technology functions under the Chairmanship of Hon’ble CM & MIC, S & T Department, Shri Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee and a Working Chairman in the Council.

The Council comprises of an apex body of 35 members – including Ministers, Ex-Officio Directors / Secretaries and 20 experts and leading academicians in the various disciplines of Science and Technology. This Apex Body is reconstituted every 3 (three) years. The existing body completes its tenure on 06.12.2004 and the new body is being formed.

The basic objectives of the Council are:

Research and Development (R & D) work on Science and Technology including determination of the pattern of development of scientific and technological research to be followed in the State and the measures needed for correcting imbalance;

Promotion of scientific research in areas appropriate for fulfillment of socio-economic objectives of the Government including the objectives of tackling the problems of backwardness, unemployment and poverty particularly in the rural areas, through society related Science and Technology programmes;
Arrangement for holding periodical discussions of the Science and Technology plans of the State of West Bengal and other major issues of Science policies by a representative cross - sections of scientists, educationists, policymakers and others;

Coordination of schemes concerning popularization of science, introduction of approved appliances and technology and other allied programmes;

To interact with other State and National Science and Technology bodies having similar or related objectives;

To identify priority areas of Science and Technology needed for long-term development of the State;
To establish, or assist in the establishment of, the infrastructure, institutions, organizations and so on necessary to achieve the aforesaid objectives;

To take any other steps which are relevant to the promotion of Science and Technology and its application to the developmental needs of the State.

Though the Council is an effective medium for the fulfillment of its objectives and the Science and Technology Policy of the State, it was handicapped by the dearth of scientists and technologists. The Council has been totally reorganized in July this year to remove its shortcomings. All scientists and a few officers of the Department have been placed at the disposal of the Council to make it an effective and powerful instrument for the advancement of Science and Technology in the State through awareness and popularization programmes, R & D to address common problem faced in the daily life by artisans, small entrepreneurs, agriculturists, farmers and the like who do not have the means for their own R & D facility. Support-staffs have also been placed at the disposal of the Council so as to ensure that it is provided with adequate manpower for effective management.

The activities of the Council for Science Popularization, Technology Development, Protection of Intellectual Property, Environmental Planning, Biotechnology, Post -Harvest Technology, Location-specific, S & T Intervention etc. can be classified into 3(three) major thrust areas – namely, General aspects of Science to address the needs for Location-specific S & T intervention and awareness and popularization of Science, Biotechnology and Tissue Culture, Intellectual Property Rights/ Patent Information and Geo-informatics & Remote Sensing.