
Who is Sethuraman Panchanathan? NSF chief resigns amid Trump's funding cuts
While he did not explicitly cite reasons, the timing coincides with mounting pressure from the Trump administration to slash NSF's USD 9 billion annual budget, scale down staffing, and cut funding for programs aligned with diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) — priorities Panchanathan strongly advocated.Who is Sethuraman Panchanathan?Born and raised in Chennai, India, Panchanathan is an alumnus of Vivekananda College, the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), and IIT Madras, where he completed his M.Sc. and M.Tech before earning his Ph.D. in Canada.His early academic focus blossomed into pioneering work in assistive and rehabilitative technologies, human-centered multimedia computing, and haptic user interfaces.Before leading the NSF, Panchanathan served as Executive Vice President at Arizona State University, where he also founded the Center for Cognitive Ubiquitous Computing (CUbiC). His work earned wide acclaim, including for developing technology that improved accessibility for individuals with disabilities.advertisementAppointed by President Trump in 2020, Panchanathan's leadership at NSF saw deepened international collaborations, notably the 2023 US-India Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies.Despite his initial appointment under a Republican administration, his strong advocacy for inclusive science and global research partnerships increasingly clashed with a shifting political climate that viewed many of NSF's initiatives as wasteful.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Economic Times
29 minutes ago
- Economic Times
Kotak Mutual Fund announces ONDC integration in collaboration with Cybrilla
Synopsis Kotak Mutual Fund has joined the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) in partnership with fintech firm Cybrilla to make mutual fund investments more accessible, especially in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities. The integration aims to lower distribution costs, boost transparency, and expand investor reach through ONDC's decentralised infrastructure, reinforcing Kotak's commitment to financial inclusion and digital innovation. Kotak Mutual Fund collaborates with ONDC and Cybrilla. This integration will simplify mutual fund investments. Kotak Mutual Fund has announced its integration with the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC), in collaboration with Cybrilla, a leading financial technology solutions integration aims to transform mutual fund investments by making the process more accessible and inclusive, helping Kotak Mutual Fund reach a broader and more diverse audience through ONDC's decentralised digital initiative is designed to simplify the investment experience for millions of Indians—particularly in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities—by enabling seamless access to mutual fund schemes across multiple ONDC-enabled platforms. 'Joining ONDC Network is a transformative step towards democratising investments. At Kotak Mutual Fund, we believe that every Indian—regardless of geography or income level—should have the opportunity to participate in India's growth story through mutual funds. ONDC Network's open architecture empowers us to reach new audiences, reduce costs, and foster a culture of financial inclusion,' said Nilesh Shah, Managing Director, Kotak Mahindra Asset Management Company. Also Read | Who is Madhu Lunawat? The first Indian woman to launch a mutual fund business With this integration, Kotak Mutual Fund reinforces its commitment to leveraging technology to encourage investing habits. As ONDC—an initiative by DPIIT, Ministry of Commerce and Industry—continues to evolve into a powerful enabler of digital commerce and financial services, Kotak Mutual Fund's presence on the Network will help bridge the gap between aspiration and access, bringing mutual fund investments within reach of every investor—regardless of physical location—and starting a new chapter in inclusive investing. The integration is expected to reduce distribution costs, enhance transparency, and empower investors with greater choice and convenience. It reflects Kotak Mutual Fund's focus on financial inclusion and its mission to simplify participation in India's economic growth through informed and accessible investing. Also Read | Who is Madhu Lunawat? The first Indian woman to launch a mutual fund business 'This integration marks a shift from limited, centralised distribution to more open and embedded access. By joining the Network, Kotak Mutual Fund shows how established players can adapt to newer models of discovery that meet users where they already are and make investing a more natural part of their digital lives. It's a small step that quietly expands what participation in formal finance can look like,'"By enabling Kotak Mutual Fund's onboarding on ONDC Network, we're helping create a level playing field where access to financial products is no longer limited by geography, distribution layers, or legacy systems. This integration reflects our vision of building scalable financial rails that simplify participation in India's growth story, empowering every investor with greater choice and transparency," said Anchal Jajodia, Co-founder, Cybrilla.


Mint
29 minutes ago
- Mint
‘Happy 80th to this guy': Wipro Chairman Rishad Premji shares pic with father Azim Premji
Wipro Chairman Rishad Premji extends wishes to his father, Azim Premji, the veteran businessman and former chairman of the tech giant, on his 80th birthday. Sharing a few pictures on the social media platform X, Rishad Premji wrote,"Happy 80th birthday to this guy." Born on July 24, 1945, Azim Premji has played a vital role in leading Wipro for nearly forty years, transforming the $2 million hydrogenated cooking oil company into a global IT, BPO, and R&D services organisation. In 2001, he founded the Azim Premji Foundation, a non-profit organisation aimed at improving the quality and accessibility of India's public school system. The Foundation collaborates with over 350,000 schools across seven Indian states. It also operates Azim Premji University, which emphasises teaching and research programmes in education and other areas of human development. As of December 2024, Premji's net worth is estimated at $35.9 billion, according to Bloomberg Billionaires Index. Azim Premji has earned several accolades over the years. BusinessWeek listed him among the top 30 entrepreneurs in world history. Additionally, Financial Times, Time, Fortune, and Forbes have all recognised him as one of the most influential people globally. He was recognised by the Journal of Foreign Policy as one of the leading global thinkers. Azim is the first Indian to receive the Faraday Medal. He was honoured with honorary doctorates from Michigan State University, Wesleyan University, and the Indian Institutes of Technology at Bombay, Roorkee, and Kharagpur. The Republic of France honoured him with their highest civilian award, the Knight of the Legion of Honor. In January 2011, he received India's second-highest civilian award, the Padma Vibhushan. Additionally, he was awarded the Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy in 2017. Azim Premji also serves as director of the following group organizations such as Wipro Enterprises Private Limited, Azim Premji Philanthropic Initiatives Private Limited, Azim Premji Custodial and Management Services Private Limited, Azim Premji Foundation for Development, Azim Premji Trustee Company Private Limited, Azim Premji Trust Services Private Limited, Azim Premji Safe Deposit Company Private Limited, Wipro GE Healthcare Private Limited and Azim Premji Foundation.


Time of India
29 minutes ago
- Time of India
US lawmaker presses for details of Pentagon use of Chinese engineers under Microsoft deal
A US lawmaker on Thursday pressed the US Defense Department for further details on what information the US military shared with Chinese engineers as part of a cloud computing services contract with Microsoft After a report by investigative journalism publication ProPublica, Microsoft last week said it has ended the practice of using China-based engineers to provide technical support to the US military under the supervision of US "digital escorts" who may not have had the expertise to assess whether the work was a cybersecurity Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered a two-week review to ensure other contractors were not employing the same a letter seen by Reuters, US Senator Tom Cotton, an Arkansas Republican, asked Hegseth to provide details to lawmakers on what information Chinese engineers accessed and to disclose "the discovery of potential security incidents or malicious events that have already occurred or are likely to occur."In addition, Cotton asked whether Microsoft had been required to perform self-audits of the program and if so, the results of those audits."While I applaud your actions, I am concerned that the Department (of Defense) is hampered by agreements and practices unwisely adopted by your predecessors, including contracts and oversight processes that fail to account for the growing Chinese threat," Cotton wrote in the letter.