On November 30, 2020, Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) created a New Laboratory named ‘Defence Geo Informatics Research Establishment’ for focused research on terrain and avalanches along the borders with China and Pakistan by merging 2 DRDO labs – Manali based Centre for Snow and Avalanche Studies Establishment (SASE) & Delhi based Defence Terrain Research Laboratory (DTRL).
Objective:
i.The objective of the merger is to make the organisation lean and result-oriented.
ii.It will help in bringing together the capabilities & resources of two labs to work under the same mission.
Prime Minister’s Meeting:
The merger took place after Prime Minister Narendra Modi participated in a detailed review meeting with Dr. G. Satheesh Reddy, DRDO Chairman and General Bipin Rawat, Chief of Defence Staff and other Union Ministers.
Defence Terrain Research Laboratory (DTRL):
i.DTRL is a Delhi-based laboratory of the DRDO established in 1964.
ii.The main aim of DTRL is to provide real time data for terrain evaluation to Indian Army.
iii.It creates Geo-spatial infrastructure to provide timely, relevant and accurate geo-spatial solutions for the Indian Armed Forces.
Snow and Avalanche Studies Establishment (SASE):
i.SASE is a Manali, Himachal Pradesh based laboratory of DRDO established in 1969.
ii.The main aim of the lab is to do research in the field of snow and avalanches to provide avalanche control measures and forecasting support to Indian Armed Forces.
iii.It has prepared an avalanche atlas of around 3,000 on-road locations in different parts of India where Indian Armed Forces are deployed.
5-Member Committee under Prof V. Ramagopal Rao:
In August 2020, DRDO Chairman, Dr. G. Satheesh Reddy constituted a 5-member committee headed by Professor V. Ramagopal Rao, Director of Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Delhi to review the charter of duties for laboratories of DRDO. The committee was constituted with the aim of making DRDO a lean and result-oriented organization.
Recent Related News:
i.On April 23, 2020, Defense Minister Shri Rajnath Singh inaugurated Mobile Virology Research and Diagnostics Laboratory (MVRDL) – “Mobile BSL-3 VRDL Lab” via video conference, it was developed by DRDO in association with ESIC.
About Snow and Avalanche Studies Establishment (SASE):
Director – Lokesh Kumar Sinha
Location – Manali, Himachal Pradesh
About Defence Terrain Research Laboratory (DTRL):
Director – Lokesh Kumar Sinha
Location – New Delhi
About Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO):
Chairman – Dr. G. Satheesh Reddy
Headquarters – New Delhi
