Planning in India: Scientific Developments with National Five-Year Plans

Dr. Pawan Sikka is a solid state physicist, science –policy analyst, academicians and science - administrator. He is former Advisor/ Scientist - G, Ministry/department of Science and technology (DST), Government of India, New Delhi. He has held various senior positions there during 1974-2004. He was Director (International relations) for science and technology, 1989-1994. As a Principal scientific officer of the DST in 1985-89, he was associated with the then apex Science Advisory Council to the Prime Minister, Rajiv Gandhi. He holds Ph.D. and D.Sc. degrees in Physics. Under the British Council ODA Scholarship, he was a Visiting fellow to the university of Oxford, Oxford, U.K. for Science policy Studies in the academic year 1984-85. He has contributed a number of technical papers, on the Physics of amorphous semi-conducting glasses, as well as on the science  - policy related issues concerning the post-independence development of science and technology in India, in national and international journals. He is a life member of the: Oxford and Cambridge Society f India, New Delhi; association of British scholars, British Council, New Delhi; Materials research Society of India, Hyderabad; and Semi-Conductor Society of India, New Delhi. He is widely traveled in India and abroad. He has delivered special lectures on science policy related studies, at the Jawaharlal Nehru University, (JNU) New Delhi. His another book, Rajiv Gandhi - His Vision of India of the 21st Century: science, technology and national development, is widely read by scholars and academics the world over.