Dr. Vijay Kumar Saraswat
Dr. Vijay Kumar Saraswat, Member NITI Aayog, and Chancellor Jawaharlal Nehru University gave a distinguished lecture on Science and Technology for Economic Development as part of IIITH’s Silver Jubilee Celebrations on 17 August. The talk was followed by a Q & A session.
Dr. Vijay Kumar Saraswat is a distinguished scientist with vast experience in defence research both basic and applied sciences, spanning several decades.
He retired as Secretary, Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), after decades of government service. He holds a Ph.D from Osmania University and a Master of Engineering from the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore.
Dr. Saraswat has had an illustrious career and is credited with the indigenous development of missiles such as Prithvi, Dhanush, Prahaar, and Agni-5; the two-tiered Ballistic Missile Defence system; the initial operational clearance of Light Combat Aircraft Tejas; and nuclear submarine INS Arihant.
Dr. Saraswat has received many honours and awards like – DRDO Scientist of the Year Award in 1987, National Aeronautical Prize in 1993, DRDO Technology Transfer Award in 1996 and Performance Excellence Award in 1999. For his outstanding contributions to the Nation, he has been conferred with Padma Shri in 1998, Aryabhata Award in 2011 and Padma Bhusan in 2013. In January 2010 & December 2012 he was awarded with honorary doctorate from Sardar Vallabhbhai National Institute of Technology, Surat, SRM Institute of Science and Technology Chennai and Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University, Hyderabad respectively.
August 2023