2025 Chief Science Advisers’ Roundtable (CSAR) Concludes with Outcome Document on Equity-Based STI for Inclusive Human Development.

The 2025 edition of the Chief Science Advisers’ Roundtable (CSAR), held on 21 September 2025 in Pretoria, South Africa, under the South Africa G20 Presidency, concluded with the adoption of the outcome document on “Equity-Based Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) for Inclusive Human Development and Global Sustainability.”

      - The 2025 CSAR was hosted by the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation (DSTI) and the National Advisory Council on Innovation (NACI), South Africa. The initiative was first conceptualised during India’s G20 Presidency in 2023 by the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser (OPSA). The 2024 edition was co-hosted by OPSA and UNESCO in Paris, France.

      - India was represented by Principal Scientific Adviser (PSA) Prof. Ajay Kumar Sood, Scientific Secretary Dr. Parvinder Maini, and Chief Policy Adviser Dr. B. Chagun Basha. Delegates from all G20 members, guest countries, and UNESCO as the official knowledge partner attended the roundtable.

      - The roundtable discussions focused on three themes: developing a global STI agenda for SDG implementation and equitable energy transition, creating an open and equitable knowledge system, and leveraging G20 STI initiatives for capacity building in Africa and developing countries.

Main Point :-   (i) Ajay Sood highlighted global AI disparities in data representation and computational power, calling for collaborative frameworks to democratise access. India’s One Nation One Subscription (ONOS), I-STEM, Rural Technology Action Group (RuTAG), and RuTAGe Smart Village Centre (RSVC) were presented as scalable models for inclusive collaboration.

      (ii) The CSAR 2025 adopted its Outcome Statement, recommending enhanced international STI collaboration to address climate change, biodiversity loss, pollution, and energy transitions.

(iii) On 22 September 2025, Prof. Sood participated in UNESCO’s MOST Forum 2025 ministerial panel on “AI for Social Impact and Public Policy.” Bilateral meetings were held with the UK, Italy, and the European Union on strengthening cooperation in quantum technologies, AI, big data, and STI partnerships under the India-EU Technology and Trade Council (TTC).