• Ajay Kumar Sood, Principal Scientific Adviser (PSA) to the government of India, convened the 23rd PM-STIAC meeting on July 14 in New Delhi.

• The meeting brought together PM-STIAC members, key government officials, and experts to discuss the contemporary priorities of science and technology ecosystem in India. 

• Discussions were held on high performance biomanufacturing, the role of Empowered Technology Group (ETG), and the recently introduced National Research Foundation (NRF) Bill.

Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser

• In November 1999, the Cabinet Secretariat established the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser to the government of India. 

• The PSA’s office aims to provide pragmatic and objective advice to the PM 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. 

Functions of office of the PSA:

i) Science and technology fundamentals with applied research in collaboration with multiple stakeholders, both in central and state governments.

ii) Enabling future preparedness in emerging domains of science and technology.

iii) Formulating and coordinating major inter-ministerial science and technology missions.

iv) Providing an enabling ecosystem for technology led innovations and techno-entrepreneurship.

v) Driving innovation and technology delivery towards solving socio-economic challenges for sustainable growth.

vi) Fostering effective public-private linkages for driving research and innovation.

PM-STIAC

• The Prime Minister’s Science, Technology, and Innovation Advisory Council (PM-STIAC) is an overarching council that expedite the PSA’s Office to appraise the status in specific science and technology domains, comprehend challenges, formulate interventions, develop a futuristic roadmap and advise the Prime Minister accordingly.

• The PM-STIAC aims to facilitate, through its missions, the process of collaboration and focus needed to solve complex problems in a reasonable time-frame.

• The PM-STIAC is assisted by the Project Management Team (PMT) at Invest India, together with the Office of the PSA. 

Objectives of PM-STIAC:

• Synergising science and technology collaborative research with various stakeholders both in central and state governments.

• Facilitating future preparedness in science and technology emerging domains.

• Formulating and coordinating major inter-ministerial science and technology missions.

• Ensuring an enabling ecosystem for technology-led innovations and entrepreneurship.

• Solving socio-economic challenges for sustainable growth by innovations and technology-based solutions.

• Fostering effective public-private linkages for driving research and innovation.

• Developing innovation clusters with multiple stakeholders including academia, industry and government.

• Skilling in current and futuristic technologies.

Nine national missions are identified through discussions. They are:

1) Natural Language Translation

2) Quantum Frontier

3) Artificial Intelligence

4) National Biodiversity

5) Electric Vehicles

6) BioScience for Human Health

7) Waste to Wealth

8) Deep Ocean Exploration

9) Accelerating Growth of New India’s Innovations (AGNIi).

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