BRIEF PROFILE OF Dr VIJAY KUMAR SARASWAT
Dr Vijay Kumar Saraswat, India’s most gifted scientist and an
accomplished researcher with more
than four decades of experience spaning over several fields and areas in both basic and applied
sciences of defence research. Apart from being a scientist,
he is a rare combination of an innovator, technologist and visionary.
Born
at Gwalior on 25 May 1949, Dr Saraswat
completed his engineering from Gwalior; Master of Engineering from IISc Bangalore followed by Ph.D
from Osmania University.
During his illustrious career, from Scientist to Scientific
Adviser to Defence Minister, Director to Director General DRDO and Secretary to
Dept of Defence R&D, Dr Saraswat
has been credited with development of Liquid Propulsion Rocket Engines and
missiles namely PRITHVI, DHANUSH, PRAHAAR indigenously. He is the principal architect
of the Ballistic Missile Defence programme which included
major technology breakthroughs.
The successive
interceptions of incoming target ballistic missiles at Exo
and Endo atmospheres are a testimony to his dedicated efforts and exploitation
of limited technological resources.
With this India joined the select nations that have the capability to
develop BMD systems.
Dr Saraswat brought new dimensions to the strategic defence
scenario through successful test firing of AGNI-5;
SHOURYA; Initial Operational Clearance for Light Combat Aircraft TEJAS and
induction of INS Arihant. Thus, today nation can boast of reaching any shores in the world
with the nuclear capable missiles with different strike ranges.
Under his leadership, DRDO provided the technologies developed by them for
societal benefits namely Solar Powered Modular Green Shelters,
Bio-Digesters, AAHAR programmes, explosive detection
kit, Diagnostic Units for Dengu and Chickengunia etc.
Dr Saraswat’s pioneering efforts have taken shape into
establishment of Research & Innovation
Centre at IIT
Madras; MILIT- Centre for
Training needs of armed forces on S&T ; CERT for reporting, auditing and
handling emergency response of Information Security Incidents; CHESS
– futuristic technology Centre for High Energy Laser and Microwave
devices; Kyrgyz-Indian Mountain Bio-Medical Research Centre at
Kyrgyzstan; The
new international
airport and Aerospace SEZ at Hyderabad and Advanced Combustion Research Centers
at IISc and IIT(M)
Till recently, Dr Saraswat was DAE Homi
Bhabha Chair and initiated development of
technologies for Energy Security namely Bio-Mass, Solid Waste Management,
Fuel Cells, Concentrated Solar Power, Multi Junction Photovoltaic Cells, Clean
Coal Technologies etc., in the country at various Industrial and Academic
Institutions in addition to bringing new dimensions to Aerospace Manufacturing.
Dr Saraswat is
the recipient of many national and international awards including
PADMABHUSHAN (2013)
PADMASHRI (1998)
Vikram Sarabhai
Memorial Award from Indian Science Congress (2011);
Lifetime
Achievement Award by Ramakrishna-Vivekananda International Foundation, New
Delhi;
Prof
Jai Krishna Memorial Award by Indian National Academy of Engineering (INAE);
Dr Y Nayudamma Memorial Gold Medal for the year 2011 by AP
Science Congress;
Jawaharlal
Nehru S&T Award (2009) by Govt of Madhya Pradesh;
FICCI
Annual Award;
ARYABHATA
Award (2011) from Astronautical Society of India;
National
Aeronautical Prize (1998)
Dr
Saraswat is Fellow / Member of following Professional
Bodies:
International
Academy of Engg, Russia elected as Member of Academy
and honored him as Academician (2007)
Fellow
of Indian National Academy of Engineering
Fellow
of Aeronautical Society of India & President of
Aeronautical Society of India
Fellow
of Institution of Engineers (India).
Fellow
of Astronautical Society of India.
Fellow
of Institute of Electronics & Telecommunication Engineers
Chairman for
Combustion Institute (India Section) and Life Member of Combustion
Life
Member of Instrumentation Society of India.
Life
Member of The Indian Science Congress Association
Fellow
of Andhra Pradesh Academi of Sciences
Fellow
of Systems Society of India
Fellow
of Society for Shock Wave Research (India)
Member
of Institute of Smart Structures & Systems
Honoris Causa was conferred upon him by
more than 18 Universities including Andhra University (Visakhapatnam), NIT Surat. He has also authored and presented several papers
for at National & International level journals / conferences and guided
eight Ph.D Scholars.
Dr
Saraswat presently is the Member NITI Aayog and shouldering
many Honorary positions in Government and Academic
Institutions.