Two scientists working in the city’s premier labs - Parvathaneni Shiva Prasad of the Research Centre Imarat (RCI) and Ramakrishnan Raghavan of the Defence Metallurgical Research Laboratory (DMRL) have been chosen to head the newly launched ‘Young Scientists Laboratories’ or DYSLs formed by the Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) to start focused research in advanced technologies.
Prime Minister Narenda Modi had dedicated these labs to the nation on Thursday. And, as per the norms both the scientists are below 35 years of age and will be wholly independent directors of their respective labs akin to the existing heads of other DRDO labs.
Thirty-four-year-old Mr. Prasad, an alumnus of NIT-Rourkela and hailing from Khammam, has been selected as Director of the Asymetric Technologies Lab based near IIT-Kharagpur will be specialising in nano-technologies, unmanned aerial vehicles, drones, cyborgs and so on with focus on low cost products. He is currently doing his Ph.D with the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru.
Mr. Ramakrishnan Raghavan, an alumnus of NIT-Trichy is also of the same age and has been appointed as Director of the Smart Materials Lab coming in the place of the existing Advanced Technology Centre of the DMRL up at Devathalagutta on the city outskirts and will be specialise in testing of armour piercing material, according to DRDO sources. He is pursuing research at IIT-Chennai.
Other DYSLs are located at Bengaluru - Artificial Intelligence, Quantum Technology - IIT Mumbai and Cognitive Technologies - IIT Chennai with each working on development of futuristic defence systems. The directors have been chosen by a committee chaired by Principal Scientific Advisor to Govt. of India K. Vijayaraghavan.
