Three scientists from Bangalore are among the 11 young scientists who have been selected for the 2012 Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize, the highest award given annually to scientists below 45 for outstanding contribution in the field of science and technology in the country.
The awards were announced on Wednesday at the 70th foundation day of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research in New Delhi.
All three awardees from Bangalore are from the Indian Institute of Science (IISc.) and, significantly, two of them work in the cutting-edge field of nanoscience and technology. They are: Ravishankar Narayanan, Associate Professor, Materials Research Centre, in the area of engineering sciences; Arindam Ghosh, Associate Professor, Department of Physics, in the field of physical sciences, and Govindsamy Mugesh, Associate Professor, Department of Inorganic and Physical Chemistry, in the field of chemical sciences.
On graphene
Prof. Ghosh’s work has revolved around graphene, the carbon allotrope that has become a hot research field in the recent past.
He told The Hindu that he was thankful to the scientific community for recognising their research work. Focussed on the advanced area of nanotechnology, his team has been working on fast and very efficient electronic devices using graphene.
“We are trying to look at applications for graphene in electronics, in solar energy and sensors,” Prof. Ghosh explained.
Speaking to The Hindu, Prof. Narayanan said he was proud to be chosen for this prestigious award, the “biggest recognition for a scientist in India”.
The award, which is given for work done over the past five years, recognises the work Prof. Narayanan and his team have been doing in the field of nanoscience. He credited the award to the outstanding students working with him over the years.
His group has been working on understanding mechanisms of how nanocrystals grow during wet chemical synthesis. This, he explains, is important in being able to control the nanocrystal shape evolution under different conditions that directly influence their properties.
This is part of the centre’s ongoing research in nanotechnology. Last year, Prof. Narayanan was also awarded the Swarna Jayanthi award by the Department of Science and Technology. He did his master’s and Ph.D. in the Department of Metallurgy, IISc.
Keywords: nanoscience, Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize
Congratulations to all winners of Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar awardees.
Hearty congratulations on your spectacular achievement Ravi , India needs youngsters like you and your team mates ,to be a Super power country, We are all very proud of you ,wishing you many more such laurels
Dr. Rakesh's comment is laudable, and CSIR Director is required to rectify the new scheme for scientists of over 70 years of age. By imposing the illogical rider that the fellowship-seeking septugenarian scientist must also be Bhatnagar Prize winner is highly ridiculous, and smells fowl. By imposing such an irrational condition the high-degree scientific research in India is being made a paternity of a certain ultra minority group of scientists. This reflects a mean mentality. The 19th century German poet, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, had said (in 1813) : "Science and art belong to the whole world, and the barriers of nationality vanish before them". Similarly, CSIR belongs to whole of Indian nation, and all Indian scientists (who qualify the age-group) and possess the potentiality for research must be given the opportunity to apply for the new fellowship.
While congratulating the above three scientists for having been granted the prestigious Bhatnagar award for their outstanding research in their fields, I feel very sorry that the Madurai Kamaraj University where I was in administrative wing has not been fortunate enough to produce such scientists in the last 25 years or so since it had felt itself proud for having such scientists being awarded with this Bhat Nagar Awards. Research has gone to the back seat not only here in particular but in the whole of Taminadu.
Shanti Pavan, the professor from IIT Madras is also from Bangalore. Come
on Hindu, you need to be way more accurate with your reporting !
Congratulations to award receipts made proud IISc continuesoly winning three awards this year. Certainly this increases institutes value and attracts more young talent to join IISc to pursue their passion in basic science.
Hats off to the Scientiest for being with us.
My Congrats to Govindsamy Mugesh, Associate Professor, Department of Inorganic and Physical Chemistry,the field of chemical sciences. There are very few people who are capable of original thinking and very few lucky to be given the opportunity to pursue their own ideas. I congratulate both Mugesh and his mentors for giving our nation such capable scientists.
First I congratulate the winners of Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize for their contributions.You are privileged and fortunate to have worked in a pro-scientist organization like CSIR.The award carries a good number of related incentives to further science.The tragedy of Indian science is total neglect of scientists in the agricultural sector including fisheries, animal husbandry,agro-forestry and dairying.Rafi Ahmed Award given by ICAR, the highest in the ICAR system is the one given to "untouchables" in science.Every one speaks for agriculture and farmers, when it comes to awards and incentives they are neglected totally and completely.During cargil war when Coffins were imported the whole nation was shocked and now the same imported from China , it has become a matter of social prestige.My plea is treat every branch of science and scientists equally and top awards carry equality in status and value.The National Academy of Agricultural Sciences is also not put at par with NASI,INSA,IASc.
Prof : Narayanan Scientists like you make the nation proud, not the ministers/politicians.
The fourth person from Bangalore is Prof. Siva Athreya who is a
Professor at the Indian Statistical Institute, Bangalore.
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