The Principal Scientific Adviser (PSA) is the chief advisor to the government on matters related to scientific policy. It is currently a Cabinet Secretary level position created in 1999 by the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government. The first appointed Principal Scientific Adviser was A. P. J. Abdul Kalam. This was followed by Rajagopala Chidambaram who held the rank of a Minister of State and was the PSA for 16 years. The current PSA is Ajay Kumar Sood.
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.
Appointees
There have been a total of four PSAs so far:
Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser
The Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India advises the government in science and technology policies and interventions that are of strategic socio-economic importance to the country. This is done in collaboration with various ministries, institutions, academia, and industry. The PM-STIAC is one of the catalysts for such tasks and also oversees the implementation of the tasks.
Nine National Missions
On 6 March 2019, the PSA announced nine new science and technology missions with a focus on 'Science for People and People for Science':
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)
Other major projects include Research Clusters, Earth Museum, Brahmaputra River System, I-STEM Facilities Map, and Energy Security.
Prime Minister's Science, Technology and Innovation Advisory Council (PM-STIAC) The Council allows the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser to ascertain the status, challenges and interventions needed in the science and technology domain so as to advise the PM is as best a manner as possible. The PM's STIAC increases the collaboration and focus needed to answer complex problems in appropriate time periods. One of the ways this is done is through it missions.
Members
Members include: