The Centre for Studies in Science Policy at Jawaharlal Nehru University here today organised a meeting to condole the death of science policy expert and its former Chairman, Professor Ashok Parthasarathi, who passed away recently.
The speakers led by Director General of Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS), Sachin Chaturvedi, paid tributes to his commitment to the promotion of science and technology and its applications to the development of security of the nation and particularly recalled his contribution to the development of the defence electronics sector.
" A physicist and an electronics engineer, Dr. Parthasarathi had served as a Special Assistant for Science and Technology in the Prime Minister’s Office of the late Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi. "
The other speakers included Dr. Dinesh Abrol (Trans-Disciplinary Research Cluster on Sustainability Studies at JNU), Dr. G.Balachandran (Institute for Defence Studies and Analysis, Dr. V.Siddhartha (International Strategic and Security Studies Programme), Dr. Ashok Jain (former Director, National Institute of Science, Technology and Development) and Dr.R.Rajaraman (Emeritus Professor, School of Physical Sciences, JNU).
They noted that Dr. Parthasarathi had played an active role in developing policies aimed at achieving self-reliance in science and technology and was involved in the establishment of several public sector companies in the electronics sector making hi-tech electronic products ranging from microchips to optic fibre and satellite-based communication systems.
A physicist and an electronics engineer, Dr. Parthasarathi had served as a Special Assistant for Science and Technology in the Prime Minister’s Office of the late Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi. He was member of the Planning Commission’s Research Advisory Committee and a member of a high-level national task force on the development of India as a knowledge society. He held senior positions in the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR), the Department of Electronics (DoE) and the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE). He died on August 12 at the age of 79.
India Science Wire
