New Delhi, Oct 9 (IANS): The Central government on Saturday appointed M. Ravichandran, Director of National Centre of Polar and Ocean Research, Ministry of Earth Science as the new Secretary of the Earth Science Ministry.

"The Appointment Committee of the Cabinet has approved the appointment of Dr. M. Ravichandran, Director, National Centre of Polar and Ocean Research, Ministry of earth Science, Goa to the post of Secretary, Ministry of Earth Science," the government said in a notification.

Ravichandran was made Director of National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (ESSO-NCPOR), Goa in November 2016 was responsible for overall execution and implementation of Polar Science activities of India and Geo scientific exploration of non-living resources and survey.

He was also the Director for National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research (NCAOR), a nodal agency for planning, coordination and implementation of India's Antarctic Programme.

He was elected Vice President of SCAR (Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research) after 32 voting nations and International Science Unions chose him for a four-year term.

SCAR is the apex body and the unifying umbrella for initiating and coordinating high quality international scientific research in Antarctica and the Southern Ocean and provides independent scientific advice to Antarctic Treaty Consultative meetings and other organisations.

NCAOR was dedicated to the nation (India) on April 5 in the year 2000, with a mandate on Antarctic research, a nodal agency for planning, coordination and implementation of India's Antarctic Programme (initially, from 1998, it operated as Antarctic Study Centre under the Department of Ocean Development).