The current Principal Scientific Advisor (PSA) to the Government of India Dr Ajay Sood is likely to continue in his post with a one-year extension. A new person is unlikely to be appointed as the PSA this year, according to people in know of the matter. He was appointed to the post in 2022, with his tenure coming to an end this year.
The office of the PSA was established in November 1999 by the cabinet secretariat, with only four persons, including Dr Sood, having served in the position. Dr APJ Abdul Kalam was the first to hold the position. The office advises the Prime Minister and the cabinet on matters related to science, technology, and innovation.
Dr Sood, a physicist from the Indian Institute of Science, has also served as a member of the Prime Minister’s Science, Technology, and Innovation Advisory Council (PM-STIAC) — the body that assists the PSA in guiding the government. He also served as a member of the Scientific Advisory Committee, which was replaced by the PM-STIAC in 2018.
While Dr Sood’s research focuses on the physics of quantum materials, having taken over as the PSA amidst the pandemic, one of the focus areas for the scientific body added under his tenure was One Health Mission. The PSA office has been driving collaborations between several ministries to promote the health of not just humans, but plants and animals, together.
In addition to One Health, Dr Sood’s office has also overseen work on national missions related to AI, quantum technologies, and deep ocean exploration. His extension is expected to provide continuity to these initiatives at a time when the government is seeking to strengthen its scientific research ecosystem and boost innovation-driven economic growth.
