India is now an Associate Member of CERN or the European Organization for Nuclear Research (Conseil Européen pour la Recherche Nucléaire) that operates the largest particle physics laboratory in the world, including the Large Hadron Collider (LHC).
India was granted membership on Jan. 16 after the Indian government completed its internal approval procedures in respect of the agreement it had signed with CERN on November 21, 2016. India has been actively involved in CERN's scientific activities for over 50 years.
Pakistan became an Associate Member of CERN on July 31, 2015. The other Associate Members are Turkey and Ukraine.
Dr. Sekhar Basu, Chairman of India's Atomic Energy Commission and Secretary of the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) and Fabiola Gianotti CERN Director General, signed an Agreement to admit India to CERN as an Associate member.
Dr. Gianotti noted that Indian physicists, engineers and technicians have made substantial contributions to the construction of the LHC accelerator and to the ALICE and CMS experiments, as well as to accelerator R&D projects.
"As an Associate Member India will have full access to all data generated at CERN. As there are many experiments in CERN, there will be plenty of information available. When we were not an Associate member, India could data only from those experiments where we were participating," said Dr. Basu.
"As an Associate member, India can participate in all experiments. We may have to pay additional charges for participating in the experiments. We can choose the experiments where India wants to participate," he added.
Dr. Basu said there are other benefits to becoming an Associate Member.
"Indian industry will be entitled to bid for CERN contracts, which will allow it to work in areas of advanced technology. So the Make in India will get a boost due to CERN. India will definitely be more competitive than others."
Indian scientists will become eligible for staff appointments at CERN, an advantage that will enhance the participation of young Indian scientists and engineers in operation and maintenance of various CERN projects.
"Indian scientists and engineers working in CERN will learn how to operate and maintain the facilities. So when they return it will be useful for India," said Dr. Basu.
The World Wide Web, the basis for that marvelous toy we now call the Internet, began as a CERN project named ENQUIRE initiated by Sir Tim Berners-Lee in 1989 and Robert Cailliau in 1990.