Ajay Kumar Sood appointed Principal Scientific Advisor

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Physicist Ajay Kumar Sood of the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bangalore has been appointed as new Principal Scientific Adviser (PSA) to the government.

• He succeeds Prof. K. VijayRaghavan.

• Dr. Sood is member of the Science, Technology and Innovation Advisory Council (PM-STIAC) and a physicist known for his work on graphene. 

• Mr Vijay Raghavan was appointed PSA in 2018 and played a key role in vaccine and drug development as well as pandemic management.

• His term ended in 2021 but was given an extension.

• About Principal Scientific Adviser (PSA)

—The Office of the PSA coordinates with several ministries and advises the government in science and technology policies and interventions that are of strategic socio-economic importance.

–It also advises institutions, academia and industry.

–The PM-STIAC is one of the catalysts for such tasks.

–This body has nine major missions - Natural Language Translation, Quantum Frontier, Artificial Intelligence, National Biodiversity Mission, Electric Vehicles, Bio–science for Human Health, Waste to Wealth, Deep Ocean Exploration, Accelerating Growth of New India’s Innovations (AGNIi).