Former Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India
In the office from 3 April 2018 to 2 April 2022
A Bachelor of Technology graduate in Chemical Engineering from IIT Kanpur in 1975
Completed doctoral work in 1983 in the field of Molecular Biology. A PhD from the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research.
Worked as a Research Fellow from 1984 to 1985 and then as a Senior Research Fellow from 1986 to 1988, at the California Institute of Technology
In 1988, joined the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research as a Reader.
Instrumental in establishing the National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS) in Bengaluru in 1992, under the aegis of the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR)
Undertook in-depth research to understand the important principles and mechanisms that control the nervous system and muscles during development, and how these neuromuscular systems direct specific locomotory behaviours.
Former Director of the National Centre for Biological Sciences, Bengaluru. Currently serving as Emeritus Professor
Served as Secretary, Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Government of India from January 2013 to January 2018
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We deeply mourn the passing of Dr. R. Chidambaram, Former Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India and one of the nation’s most distinguished scientists.
Dr. Chidambaram was a visionary leader and architect of India’s scientific and technological progress. He played a pivotal role in India’s nuclear program, including the Pokhran-II nuclear tests in 1998, which established India’s scientific and strategic capabilities on the global stage. Dr. Chidambaram’s contributions to nuclear science, strategic technologies, and scientific policymaking have left an indelible mark on the nation. Read more...