The Centre has issued an order granting an extension of a further two years to Thirumalachari Ramasami, Secretary, Department of Science and Technology in the Ministry of Science and Technology.
A doctorate in Chemistry from the University of Leeds, U.K, Dr. Ramasami has been the Secretary of the Department for the past four years. He assumed charge of the post in May 2006, after over a two-decade-long stint at the Chennai-based Central Leather Research Institute under the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research.
He joined the CLRI as a scientist in 1984 and rose to become its Director. He served as the Director of the institute for over 10 years before moving over as the DST Secretary. Before joining the CLRI, he had worked at the Wayne State University and the Ames Laboratory in the United States.
An expert in leather technology, Dr. Ramasami has a large number of publications and patents to his credit. He has won several awards, including the prestigious Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize. He was bestowed with Padma Shri in 2001.
He is a product of Madras University. He did his masters in leather technology from the university.