Scientist M. Vijayan and poet-linguist Puthussery Ramachandran have been selected for the first Kairali Awards instituted by the State government for lifelong contributions to the field of research.
Dr. Vijayan and Dr. Ramachandran have been selected for the Kairali Global Lifetime Achievement Prize for Researchers, carrying a cash prize of ₹5 lakh and citation, and the Kairali Lifetime Achievement Prize for Researchers, carrying a cash prize of ₹2.5 lakh and citation, respectively, a statement by Higher Education Minister K.T. Jaleel has said.
The winners were identified by a jury, chaired by former director of the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) P. Balaram, constituted by the Kerala State Higher Education Council.
Dr. Vijayan, a structural biologist and professor at the IISc, is a former president of the Indian National Science Academy.
He is also a winner of the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize.
Dr. Ramachandran, a scholar of Dravidian linguistics, is a recipient of the prestigious Ezhuthachan award and the Bhasha Samman, instituted by the Sahitya Akademi.
