Dr Vijay P Bhatkar (Chair)
Dr Vijay Bhatkar is a renowned Indian computer scientist, IT leader and educationalist. He has been widely recognised for his pivotal role in the development of India’s Param supercomputers as part of the country’s national initiative in supercomputing. His outstanding work was acknowledged by the Government when he was bestowed with Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan awards.
He began his journey towards achieving excellence when he established the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC). The organisation works under his direction to develop exascale supercomputing technology which can be used by India. Additionally, Dr Vijay also serves in various prestigious positions such as Chancellor at Nalanda University since January 2017; Chairman of Board Governors at IIT Delhi from 2012 till 201.
He has previously served as a member of the Scientific Advisory Committee to the Prime Minister, a member of the Governing Council of CSIR, a member of the IT Task Force, and a Chairman of the e-governance Committees of Maharashtra and Goa. He has received India’s top civilian honours including the Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan.
Prof Ashutosh Sharma (Co-Chair)
Prof Ashutosh Sharma is the Institute Chair Professor at the Indian Institute of Technology – Kanpur and the serving President of the Indian National Science Academy. He served as the Science Secretary of India from 2015 to 2021, heading the Department of Science & Technology, where he worked diligently to develop new programs in infrastructure and human capacity building, innovation and startups, R&D in advanced manufacturing, waste processing, clean energy and cyber-physical systems; industry-academia cooperation; science communication; policies for women scientists; and major international collaborations in areas of priority for the nation.
His research contributions with cutting-edge studies range across different disciplines including nanotechnology, thin polymer films, nanocomposites and devices in energy, health and environment; functional interfaces; micro/nano-mechanics of soft matter; nano-patterning and nanofabrication; colloid and interfacial engineering; biomaterials & bio-surfaces.
His work has been recognized by various prestigious awards such as the inaugural Infosys Prize in Engineering & Computer Science, TWAS Science Prize from The World Academy Of Sciences (TWAS), Bessel Research Award from Humboldt Foundation, J C Bose Fellowship, S S Bhatnagar Prize, Homi J Bhabha Award From UGC, The Syed Husain Zaheer Medal And The Meghnad Saha Medal From INSA, and others.
Prof Ajay K Sood
Prof. Ajay Sood is the Principal Scientific Advisor to the Government of India since April 2022. He is also the Chairperson of the Prime Minister’s Science, Technology & Innovation Advisory Council (PM-STIAC). He is also a National Science Chair at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bangalore.
He was a member of the Prime Minister’s Science, Technology, and Innovation Advisory Council (PM-STIAC) from 2018 to March 2022 and from 2009 to 2014, and also served as a Member of the Scientific Advisory Council (SAC) to the Prime Minister of India.
He is renowned for his groundbreaking work in quantum materials and soft condensed matter. His work has been recognised by many awards, including the Padma Shri. He was President of the Indian National Science Academy (2017-19), President of the Indian Academy of Sciences (2010-12), and Secretary-General, The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS), Trieste, Italy (2013-2018). He was elected to the Fellowship of the Royal Society, UK (FRS) in 2015.
He has also received the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize, the G. D. Birla Award for Scientific Research, the TWAS Prize in Physics, the Millennium Gold Medal of the Indian Science Congress Association, the Sir C. V. Raman Award of the UGC, the Homi Bhabha Medal of the Indian National Science Academy, G. M. Modi Award for Science and Technology, 25th SIES Sri. Chandrasekarendra Saraswathi National Eminence Award in the category of Science & Technology and Asutosh Mookerjee Memorial Life Time Award by Indian Science Congress, among others. He has been conferred Doctor of Philosophy (Honoris Causa) by many universities. He serves as Associate Editor in a reputed International Journal, ACS Nano.
Prof Shekhar C. Mande
Prof Shekhar Mande is a renowned Indian scientist and the former Director General of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and Secretary to the Government of India in the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research. He is known for his significant contributions to the field of biotechnology, especially in the areas of structural and functional genomics.
His research focuses on understanding the molecular basis of disease, with a particular focus on the development of diagnostics and therapeutics.
During his tenure at CSIR, he has made significant contributions to research and development in India. He has played a pivotal role in the establishment of the National Biopharma Mission and the National Biopharma Manufacturing Mission, which aim to enhance the biopharmaceutical sector in India. He has also been instrumental in the fight against SARS-CoV-2 during the Covid-19 pandemic by mobilizing the scientific community in India and forging a partnership with Industry.
In addition to his research and academic activities, he also serves as an advisor to several government departments and private companies. He is an advocate for the development of science and technology in India, and is an active member of various international bodies such as the International Union of Crystallography.