Dr. A.K. Singh, a Panjab University Alumnus has been appointed as Director
General, Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) in the Ministry of
Defence.
Dr. Ajay Kumar Singh joined as a graduate student in Biophysics PU Chandigarh
in 1981 and passed out (MSc) in the academic year 1985-1986. Thereafter, immediately he
joined his first CSIR scientific assignment in Indian Institute of Toxicology Research
in Lucknow in 1986. Soon after 1-year, he joined as a Scientist in DRDO in the
Institute of Nuclear Medicine and allied sciences (INMAS), Delhi under Ministry of
Defence, Govt. of India.
Dr AK Singh has done pioneering research in Nuclear Medicine and brought many
radiotracers from bench to bed and has many patents to his credit. He has received many
prestigious awards which also includes the DRDO best scientist award of the year by PM
of India. He has remained on many prestigious and administrative positions in DRDO such
as staff officer to Scientific Advisor to Raksha Mantri of India, Director CEPTAM,
Director Personal and Director HR- DRDO and lastly as Director of INMAS before his
elevation to the prominent position of Director General of Life sciences of DRDO. This
position on which he joined 3-days back is the 3rd highest position in the DRDO
hierarchy after the positions of Scientific Advisor and Secretary DRDO. He will be
based in DRDO Bhawan in Headquarters in New Delhi.
Professor Baljinder Singh, PU Fellow and Nuclear Medicine, PGI, informed that
Dr Ajay was his classmate at PU and being in the same discipline, they have carried
many collaborative research projects under funding from DRDO. Prof Singh anticipates
that as alumnus of Panjab University, Dr Ajay can play a significant role in involving
PU basic sciences departments in accomplishing some DRDO strategic research goals
through extending extramural projects funding to our university.
