New Delhi: Distinguished scientist Samir V Kamat was on Thursday appointed as Secretary of the Department of Defence Research and Development and Chairman of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), according to a Personnel Ministry order.
Kamat, who is Director General, Naval Systems & Materials, at the DRDO will succeed G Satheesh Reddy who has been named as scientific adviser to Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.
DRDO is the research and development wing of the Defence Ministry.
The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved the appointment of Kamat as Secretary of the Department of Defence Research and Development and Chairman of DRDO from the date of his assumption of charge till he attains the age of 60 years, it said.
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The ACC also approved the appointment of Reddy as scientific adviser to the defence minister, the order said.
Reddy was appointed as DRDO chief in August 2018 for two years. He was given two years' extension in the post in August 2020.
What is the DRDO?
The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) is the premier agency under the Department of Defence Research and Development in Ministry of Defence of the Government of India, charged with the military's research and development, headquartered in Delhi, India.
It was formed in 1958 by the merger of the Technical Development Establishment and the Directorate of Technical Development and Production of the Indian Ordnance Factories with the Defence Science Organisation.
Subsequently, Defence Research & Development Service (DRDS) was constituted in 1979 as a service of Group 'A' Officers / Scientists directly under the administrative control of Ministry of Defence.
With a network of 52 laboratories, which are engaged in developing defence technologies, covering various fields, like aeronautics, armaments, electronics, land combat engineering, life sciences, materials, missiles, and naval systems, DRDO is India's largest and most diverse research organisation.
The organisation includes around 5,000 scientists belonging to the DRDS and about 25,000 other subordinate scientific, technical and supporting personnel.
As part of Make In India and Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative, DRDO under Development cum Production Partner programme (DCPP) allowed handholding of domestic private sector industries to improve their development and production cycle of complex defence systems.
VL-SRSAM (Vertical Launch - Short Range Surface to Air Missile) and Advanced Towed Artillery Gun System (ATAGS) became some of the successful projects of this programme.
(with inputs from PTI)
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