Bengaluru: On behalf of Wildlife Conservation Society–India Program, I am pleased to send across my heartiest congratulations to Professor K VijayRaghavan for being appointed as Principal Scientific Advisor (PSA) to the Government of India. The office of the PSA is a scientific body that the government relies on for advice on matters relating to science. It also acts as the interface between scientific institutions and the government.
One of India’s finest biologists, Professor K VijayRaghavan was formerly the director of the National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS) and was appointed Secretary of Department of Biotechnology in 2013, a position from which he retired last month. I am grateful for his enthusiastic support in the initiation of the two-year master’s degree program in Wildlife Biology and Conservation at NCBS, which was established in 2004 due to a partnership between WCS – India Program and NCBS.
His continued encouragement and backing for research in wildlife science and ecology, both as the Director of NCBS as well as the Secretary of Department of Biotechnology, has contributed immensely to the success of this program in training a sound cadre of professionals that work for wildlife conservation. Since its initiation, the program has matriculated 88 master’s students who have published 65 peer-reviewed scientific papers from their thesis and 150 papers after graduation. Fifteen students have completed their PhDs and 24 are currently enrolled in PhD programs.
I would like to congratulate Professor VijayRaghavan once again most warmly on his appointment and wish him success in his future endeavours.
Best wishes,
Prakriti Srivastava
Country Director
Wildlife Conservation Society – India Program