2025 edition of CSAR held in Pretoria, South Africa

Current Context: The 2025 edition of the Chief Science Advisers’ Roundtable (CSAR) was held on 21–22 September 2025 in Pretoria, South Africa.

• It was hosted by South Africa’s Department of Science, Technology and Innovation (DSTI) and National Advisory Council on Innovation (NACI) under its G20 Presidency.
• The theme was “Equity‑based Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) for Inclusive Human Development and Global Sustainability”.
• CSAR was first conceptualised during India’s G20 Presidency in 2023 by the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser (OPSA).
• India’s delegation was led by Prof. Ajay Kumar Sood (Principal Scientific Adviser to GoI) along with senior officials.
• The roundtable adopted the Outcome Statement of G20‑CSAR 2025, focusing on SDGs, AI equity, bridging the digital divide, and inclusive access to knowledge.

Question:

Q.1 The Chief Science Advisers’ Roundtable (CSAR) was first conceptualised during which country’s G20 Presidency?
a) India (2023)
b) Italy (2021)
c) Indonesia (2022)
d) Saudi Arabia (2020)

Answer: a) CSAR was first proposed in 2023 during India’s G20 Presidency by the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser (OPSA)