Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Monday announced the constitution of a new scientific advisory council to be headed by C.N.R. Rao.

"I am happy to announce that I have constituted a Science Advisory Council to the prime minister with Dr C.N.R. Rao as its chairman," Manmohan Singh said.

Rao is a Linus Pauling Research Professor and honorary president of the Bangalore-based Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research and distinguished visiting professor at the department of materials in the University of California, Santa Barbara.

He is the president of the Third World Academy of Sciences with its headquarters at Trieste, Italy.

Manmohan Singh was delivering the inaugural address at the 92nd session of the Indian Science Congress here.

"I look forward to the council's guidance in addressing challenges facing Indian science that you may identify at this congress," he told delegates at the meeting.