In news– Recently, Indian Institute of Science’s (IISc) Professor Ajay K Sood has been appointed as the new Principal Scientific Adviser (PSA) to the government of India.
A brief note on Ajay K Sood-
- He is a Professor in the department of physics, IISc, is renowned for his pioneering research in the fields of quantum materials and soft condensed matter.
- He has served as president of the Indian National Science Academy and of the Indian Academy of Sciences; secretary-general of The World Academy of Sciences; chair of IISc’s Division of Physical and Mathematical Sciences; Chair of key decision-making bodies, and editor of many influential journals.
- He is a member of the science, technology and innovation advisory council to the Prime Minister, and from 2009 to 2014 was member, scientific advisory council to the Prime Minister.
- He received the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize for the Physical Sciences in 1999, the Third World Academy of Sciences (TWAS) Award in Physics in 2000, and the Padma Shri in 2013.
- In recognition of his research on nanosystems and soft matter, he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of London in 2015.
- As a new PSA, he succeeds Prof K Vijayraghavan from the National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS), Bengaluru.
Office of Principal Scientific Adviser (PSA)-
- Cabinet Secretariat established the Office of the PSA to the Government of India in November 1999 during Atal Bihari Vajpayee government.
- At the time, the position was a Cabinet rank position, with the first PSA being A. P. J. Abdul Kalam.
- The PSA’s office aims to provide pragmatic and objective advice to the Prime Minister and cabinet on matters related to science, technology and innovation with a focus on application of science and technology in critical infrastructure, economic and social sectors in partnership with Government departments, institutions and industry.
- The ‘Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser’, through the Prime Minister’s Science, Technology and Innovation Advisory Council (PM-STIAC) helps scientific cross-sectoral synergy across ministries, institutions and the industry.
Further reading: https://journalsofindia.com/the-prime-ministers-science-technology-and-innovation-advisory-council-pm-stiac/
Source: Times of India
