Office of Principal Scientific Adviser launches TRL Compass Platform; signs MoU with DSCI

📌 Summary:

• The Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser (OPSA), with the Data Security Council of India (DSCI), launched the TRL Compass Platform on 29 June 2026
• Launched under Prof. Ajay Kumar Sood, Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India
• The platform standardises Technology Readiness Level (TRL) assessments across sectors, adapting the globally accepted nine-level TRL scale to India's research and innovation ecosystem
• It provides a common national standard for evaluating projects seeking public funding, making evaluation objective and transparent
• TRL Compass will support implementation of the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) and the Research, Development and Innovation (RDI) Fund
• Includes sector-specific annexures for Healthcare & Pharmaceuticals and Software for domain-specific assessments

🎯 UPSC Relevance: GS3 (Science & Technology) — strengthening the national R&D and innovation ecosystem, objective evaluation of publicly funded research, and ANRF/RDI Fund implementation.

📝 Prelims Facts:

• TRL = Technology Readiness Level (nine-level scale)
• Launched by OPSA in collaboration with DSCI (a NASSCOM body)
• Supports ANRF (Anusandhan National Research Foundation) and the RDI Fund
• Principal Scientific Adviser: Prof. Ajay Kumar Sood

🔑 Key Term: Technology Readiness Level (TRL) — a nine-point scale measuring the maturity of a technology, from basic principles (TRL 1) to a fully proven, deployable system (TRL 9).