Dr V Prakash to take over as CSIR chief

Mysore, Nov 30 (UNI) The city-based Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI) Director Dr V Prakash has been appointed as the Director General of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) with effect from January one, 2007.

He would hold concurrent charge as Secratary, Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, Union Science and Technology Ministry.

Addressing a press conference here, Dr Prakash said he would be proceeding to New Delhi today to work for a month with Dr R A Mashelkar, the outgoing Director General, as per the CSIR tradition.

Dr Mashelkar had a record of splendid achievements for eleven years. ''I want to understand the agenda set by him as my priority and carry on, more so in the context of the coming eleventh five-year plan,'' he said.

Recalling his nearly three-decades-long association with the CSIR, Dr Prakash thanked the Union Government for having confidence in his abilities and said he would do his best to live up to the expectations of the authorities.

He said there were plenty of challenges and a master plan for scientific research based on dialogue with all the Directors of national laboratories had to be drawn.

Beginning his career at CFTRI as CSIR poll officer in 1981, Dr Prakash rose to the position of the CFTRI Director in 1994. A recipient of many awards, he had bagged the prestigious Padma Shri in recognition of his outstanding service to the nation in the field of science and engineering.

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