Ten scientists from Indian research institutions have been selected for the country’s prestigious Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar award for the year 2014.
The award is given to recognize outstanding Indian work in science and technology and consists of a cash prize of Rs. 5 lakh, a citation and a plaque.
The awardees are,
Biological Sciences: Dr. Roop Mallik, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai.
Chemical Sciences: Dr. Kavirayani Ramakrishna Prasad, Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore; Dr. Souvik Maiti, Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (CSIR-IGIB), New Delhi.
Earth, Atmosphere, Ocean and Planetary Sciences: Dr. Sachchida Nand Tripathi, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kanpur
Engineering Sciences: Dr. S Venkata Mohan, Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (CSIR-IICT), Hyderabad; Dr. Soumen Chakrabarti, IIT, Mumbai
Mathematical Sciences:Dr. Kaushal Kumar Verma, IISc, Bangalore
Medical Sciences: Dr. Anurag Agrawal, CSIR-IGIB, New Delhi
Physical Sciences: Dr. Pratap Raychaudhuri, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), Mumbai; Dr. Sadiqali Abbas Rangwala, Raman Research Institute, Bangalore.
Apart from this, the CSIR Awards for S&T Innovations for Rural Development 2013 was conferred upon CSIR-Centre for Cellular & Molecular Biology, Hyderabad and Directorate of Rice Research, ICAR, Hyderabad for development and deployment of an improved Samba Mahsuri rice variety which is bacterial blight resistant, high yielding and possesses fine-grains and CSIR Diamond Jubilee Technology Award 2014 was conferred upon Avra Laboratories Pvt. Limited, Hyderabad for development and commercialization of a drug for colorectal cancer called Irinotecan.
Prof Shanti Swaroop Bhatnagar (1894-1955) was a well-known scientist and professor of chemistry. He served as the first director-general of CSIR from 1942 to 1954. He is known as Father of Indian Research Laboratories, remembered for having established various chemical labs in the country.
