Bengaluru: A child prodigy who at the age of 35 is pushing the boundaries of mathematics and a scientist who used the Chandrayaan and Mars Orbiter Missions to unravel the mysteries of cosmic interactions are among those honoured with the Infosys Prize for achievements in science. Six scientists and researchers were honoured for their contribution in engineering, humanities, life sciences, mathematical sciences, physical sciences and social sciences at a function on Saturday. The award winners emerged from over 250 nominations.
Akshay Venkatesh, currently a professor at Stanford University in the USA, won the award in the mathematics category. By the age of the 21, the New Delhi-born mathematician had secured a doctorate at Princeton University. Since then, he has made several important contributions to enumerative problems in number theory, says the citation given to him.
The Infosys Prize 2016 in Physical Sciences was awarded to Anil Bhardwaj, Director, Space Physics Laboratory, Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, Thiruvananthapuram for his contribution in the field of Planetary Science and Exploration. Mr. Bhardwaj remains the only scientist in the country whose scientific payloads have been selected for every planetary mission. And the experiments conducted during ISRO’s Chandrayaan missions have resulted in a greater understanding of interaction of solar winds on the lunar surface.
Kaivan Munshi from University of Cambridge was awarded in the Social Sciences (Economics) category for his analysis of the multifaceted role of communities in the process of economic development. In a congratulatory message, Kaushik Basu, former Chief Economist of the World Bank, states, “His research has enhanced our understanding of the role of community networks in promoting and, in other ways, also hindering economic development.”
Recognising the importance of her research on rotavirus, which kills more than two lakh children worldwide annually with India being among the worst hit, Gagandeep Kang, Executive Director of Translational Health Science and Technology Institute, Faridabad, won the award in the Life Sciences category. Her studies have shown that natural immunity to rotavirus infections is much lower in the Indian population, and through this, helped developed far more effective vaccines for the country.
V. Kumaran from the Indian Institute of Science in Bengaluru received the award in the Engineering and Computer Science category for his work on complex fluids and complex flows that have seen innovative technologies dealing with cardio-vascular and pulmonary health.
The humanities prize went to Sunil Amrith, Professor of History at Harvard University in the USA. Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen, who was on the jury panel, believes that Mr. Amrith has put in focus the migrational histories of India and the world. "His work has shown that no country in the world can be studied in isolation,” said Mr. Sen who was at the award presentation ceremony on Saturday.
The awards carry prize money of Rs. 65 lakh, a gold medal and a citation.
Science has to be free from politics
India's ambition to become a scientific power by 2030 is ‘very difficult’ in the current environment where the level of basic science is low, said Nobel Laureate Venkatraman Ramakrishnan on Saturday.
"This is an ambitious aim and needs a sustained and committed engagement. This is a long-term goal that will have an impact only decades later," he said.
The problem in India, he says, is one of funding. "The Indian government under-invests in science. There is also abysmal investment in science and research and development by the private sector. In the West, the private sector invests double that of the government. Indian industries have to ask why they aren't investing more," said Mr. Ramakrishnan.
Furthermore, he said science needs flexible funding and an environment where research is free from politics.
He emphasised the need for economies to grow beyond dependence on natural resources and the development of a scientific base. "Even if countries rely on new technologies and discoveries from abroad, there needs to be a pool of people within the country to understand and develop the technology," he said.
