Dr Renu Swarup Gets Additional Charge Of Secretary, Science and Technology
Dr Renu Swarup, Secretary, Department of Biotechnology (DBT), has been assigned additional charge of the post of Secretary, Department of Science and Technology (DST).
The order was issued Tuesday (31 August).
This makes Dr Swarup the first woman secretary of the DST.
Besides being DBT secretary, Dr Swarup is the chairperson of Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC), a not-for-profit public sector enterprise set up by DBT.
She had taken over as the DBT secretary on 10 April 2018 for a two-year term. However, she was approved to continue in the role past the term till 30 April.
A further order extended her tenure for a period of six months, which is 31 October 2021.
She has served in the Department of Biotechnology for about three decades.
Dr Swarup has a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree in genetics and plant breeding. She completed her post-doctoral research at The John Innes Centre, Norwich UK, under Commonwealth Scholarship before returning to India in 1989 to essay the role of a Science Manager in DBT, Ministry of Science and Technology.
She is a member of the National Academy of Sciences India. She is also a member of Governing Body of National Institutes, Universities and Canters.
In 2012, she was awarded the “BioSpectrum Person of the Year Award”. She also received the “National Entrepreneurship Awards 2017”.
