HYDERABAD: DRDO chairman G Satheesh Reddy on Monday said there was a need for a focus group in each DRDO laboratory to work on future technologies. He was speaking at the National Science Day 2021 at DRDO HQs in New Delhi on Monday at a function organised by Defence Science Forum.

Satheesh Reddy who is the Secretary DD R&D and DRDO chairman congratulated the scientific community for its ongoing quest to achieve excellence and self-reliance. He emphasised the need to concentrate on science in laboratories and academic institutes and to come out with state of the art technologies. Satheesh Reddy highlighted the requirement for a focus group in each DRDO laboratory to work on future technologies. “It is important for any nation to work on the fundamental side of science, for which universities need to be made stronger. With this, the nation can come out with quality products,” he said.

Principal Scientific Advisor to Govt. of India, Prof K Vijay Raghavan said there was a significant amount of work being done by DRDO that epitomizes quality science. He appreciated the speed and quality of innovations by DRDO during the pandemic. He said in a design driven world, two major goals should be designing and manufacturing indigenously. “In the new era of partnership between DRDO and industry, we should have the capability to buy local and make local,” he said.

Forty Seven research papers were received from various DRDO labs/establishments, out of which three research papers were adjudged best. Defence Science Spectrum, a compilation of the scientific papers received from labs of various clusters, was also released by dignitaries on the occasion. DRDO Science Day orations were delivered by scientists of three DRDO laboratories namely, Advanced Systems Laboratory (ASL), Hyderabad, Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE), Bengaluru and Defence Research and Development Establishment (DRDE), Gwalior.

Dr AK Singh, Director General (DG), Life Sciences, and Convenor Defence Science Forum delivered the welcome address. Sudhir Gupta, DG (TM), K S Varaprasad, DG (HR) and Nabanita Radhakrishnan DG (SAM & R&M) were also present on the occasion.

National Science Day is celebrated each year on February 28 to commemorate the discovery of “Raman Effect” in 1928 by Sir Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman, which led to the Nobel Prize being awarded to him in 1930.

Defence Science Forum is a platform of DRDO where scientists of various disciplines interact to foster fellowship, exchange of ideas with luminaries of different disciplines and feasibility and planning of all inter-disciplinary projects where expert opinion is required.