Research Body CSIR Asks Staff To Wear Wrinkled Clothes On Mondays. Here's Why

Till now, one had heard of 'Thank God It's Friday' or 'Casual Friday' dress code followed by many corporates. As part of this, employees avoid formal clothes on Fridays and turn up to work in semiformal relaxed outfits.

Now the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), the largest civilian network of research labs in India, has started a 'WAH Mondays' campaign -- WAH expanded to 'Wrinkles Acche Hai' (wrinkles are good). The idea is to get people to wear non-ironed clothes to work every Monday in a symbolic fight against climate change.

Dr N Kalaiselvi, secretary of Department of Scientific and Industrial Research and the first woman director general of CSIR, says WAH Mondays is part of a larger energy literacy campaign. "CSIR decided to contribute by wearing non-ironed clothes on Mondays. Ironing each set of clothes amounts to emission of 200 g of carbon dioxide. So, by wearing non-ironed clothes, one can prevent emission of carbon dioxide to the tune of 200 g," she said.

The 'Wrinkles Acche Hain' campaign has been launched as part of the 'Swachhata Pakhwada' from May 1-15.

As part of its larger initiative to save energy, CSIR is implementing a few standard operating procedures to reduce electricity consumption in all labs across the country, with an initial target of 10 per cent reduction of electricity charges at workplace. These SOPs will be implemented during June-August 2024 as a pilot trial.

Recently, the country's biggest climate clock was installed in the CSIR headquarters building in Delhi's Rafi Marg. 

"This is CSIR's contribution to save mother Earth and the planet," Dr Kalaiselvi said.