Dr. D. K. Aswal, currently Director, CSIR-National Physical Laboratory (CSIR-NPL), New Delhi and Chairman, National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL), India, is maintaining lien with his position as “Outstanding Scientist” at Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), Government of India, Mumbai. Dr. Aswal, during 2012–2015, has also served as Secretary, Atomic Energy Education Society (AEES), Mumbai, which is an autonomous institution under DAE. Dr. Aswal joined BARC through the training school batch of the year 1986 after completing M.Sc. in Physics (Gold medalist) from Garhwal University in 1985. He obtained his Ph.D. in Physics from Mumbai University and subsequently carried out postdoctoral research work at the Research Institute of Electronics, Hamamatsu, Japan. He is a condensed matter physicist of international repute and has made several outstanding contributions in the areas ofmolecular electronics, physics of organic films and their applications, thermoelectric power generators and gas sensors. He has had Visiting Professor/Scientist positions at several international institutes/universities viz. Institut d 'Electronique de Microelectronique et de Nanotechnologie (France), Shizuoka University (Japan), Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique (France), Weizmann Institute of Science (Israel), University of Yamanashi (Japan), University of Paris VII (France), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (Germany) and the University of South Florida (USA). He is a recipient of several national and international awards/fellowships including Fellow of National Academy of Sciences, India (NASI), Academician, Asia Pacific Academy of Materials, Distinguished Faculty Award of Homi Bhabha National Institute (HBNI), Materials Research Society of India (MRSI) Medal, Homi Bhabha Science and Technology Award, DAE-SRC Outstanding Research Investigator Award, Paraj: Excellence in Science Award, JSPS fellowship (Japan), BMBF fellowship (Germany) and EGIDE fellowship (France). He has edited four books, contributed 20 book chapters, published over 275 journal papers, filed six patents and secured the trademark of Bhartiya Nirdeshak Dravya (BND) – the Indian Certified Reference Materials. His current focus is to enhance the metrological capabilities of India at par with international standards for continuous improvement of the quality and safety of life in the country and making CSIR-NPL as a growth engine of the nation by supporting industries and strategic sectors through apex calibration facilities.
