Scientist V K Saraswat joins as full-time member of NITI Aayog

Scientist V K Saraswat joins as full-time member of NITI Aayog

Former DRDO chief Vijay Kumar Saraswat has taken charge as full time-member of National Institution for Transforming India (NITI) Aayog. V K Saraswat He had played a very significant role in the development of the country’s first Liquid Propulsion Engine, DEVIL. He was Project Director of Prithvi and had steered the design, development, production and induction of the first indigenous Surface-to-Surface missile system into the armed forces. He was Secretary of Defence (Research & Development) and Director General of Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO). Awards: He was conferred the Padma Shri (1998) and Padma Bhusan (2013). Background Earlier on 1 January 2015, Union Government had announced the replacement of 6 decade year old Planning Commission with new age NITI Aayog to function as both a think-tank and a policy forum for government. On 5 January 2015, Prime Minister Narendra Modi as Chairman of NITI Aayog had appointed V K Saraswat along with eminent economist Bibek Debroy as its full time members and Arvind Panagariya as its first Vice-Chairman.