LAUSR

Which is the most exciting research topic in “Inorganic Chemistry” being pursued in India? This question may have multiple debatable responses, but the most likely event which would offer an answer would be the gathering of practising inorganic chemists of the country, in the Modern Trends in Inorganic Chemistry (MTIC). Briefly,Modern Trends in Inorganic Chemistry is a series of biennial symposia that was initiated in 1985 at the Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science, Kolkata, India. Ever since its inception, MTIC has been an important forum for the inorganic chemists of the country and remains the most sought-after event to showcase their science. CSIR-NCL in associationwith IISERPune and SP Pune University had the pleasure of hosting the 17th edition of MTIC in Pune during 11−14th Dec. 2017. After brief remarks by the convener Dr. Amitava Das, MTIC-XVII opened with two inaugural talks by two eminent inorganic chemists, namely, Prof. Animesh Chakravorty and Dr. T. Ramasami. Prof. Chakravorty, a founder member of MTIC, shared his academic and research experience titled “An old man’s album of inorganic chemistry”, aptly suited for a person of his stature, while Dr. Ramasami emphasized on how inorganic chemistry can be best utilized to address the need of our countrymen. A talk titled “Joy of doing useful inorganic chemistry” was delivered by Dr. T. Ramasami, a champion and stalwart in a public-private research partnership with enormous experience in research and science policy. These two talks set the perfect stage for the remaining proceedings. Eminent academicians, as well as representatives from the industry presented and discussed the latest and most exciting aspects of structural, inorganic, organometallic, spectroscopic and computational chemistry. MTIC-XVII provided a vital forum for the exchange of new ideas amongst the active inorganic chemists in a constructive and interdisciplinary atmosphere and offered a common platform to strengthen the international network of inorganic and organometallic chemists of this country. The symposium featured a blend of ten distinguished international speakers, and close to seventy active Indian researchers covering industry, academia and research institutions. Most importantly, around 500 research students/scholars who are pursuing their Ph.D. participated actively in this symposium and presented over 350 posters. MTIC-XVII was, in its own spirit, an effort to bring together all the stakeholders to foresee the future of inorganic chemistry in the country and to make our lives better. Selected papers presented during the symposiumwere considered for bringing out a Special Issue onMTIC-XVII. Based on the presentations showcased, contributions were invited and after peer review, 26 papers have been accepted for publication in the Journal of Chemical Sciences as a Special Issue. This special issue comprises of review articles, perspectives, communications and full-length articles. As you will witness, the special issue features contemporary science of immense importance and showcases the rich heritage of inorganic chemistry in India. The organizers of MTIC-XVII thank the Editorial Board of the Journal of Chemical Sciences and Indian Academy of Sciences, Bengaluru, for accepting our proposal to bring out a special issueonMTIC-XVII.Wewould like to take this opportunity to thank the Editor-in-Chief, Prof. N. Periasamy, for guidance to publish this special issue.We profoundly appreciate and thank the authors who have contributed to this special issue. The process would not have been complete without the stringent peer review; we thank the reviewers for enabling the review process. We are obliged to the editorial staff of Journal of Chemical Sciences and the publishing and production team of Springer Nature for their assistance at various levels during the publication and production of this special issue.