11 top scientists chosen for Science and Technology awards

New Delhi, Sep 27 (UNI) Eleven top scientists were today chosen for the prestigious 'Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar' prize for Science and Technology from various science branches.

The prize comprising of a citation, plaque and a cash award of Rs 200,000 is given to scientists for their outstanding contributions made primarily in India during the last five years.

Only the scientists below the age of 45 years on 31st December of the year preceding the year of the prize, are eligible for the category, a Science and Technology Ministry release said.

Dr Upinder Singh Bhalla of National Centre for Biological Sciences, Bangalore along with Dr Narayanaswamy Srinivasan of Indian Institute of Science (IISC), Bangalore, will get the award for biological sciences while Dr Amalendu Chandra of Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, and Dr A Ajayaghosh of National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology (NIST) (Formerly RRL) Thiruvananthapuram, are getting the recognition under the chemical sciences category, the release said.

Dr Anil Bhardwaj, Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, Thiruvananthapuram, is getting the award for his work in Earth, Atmosphere, Ocean and Planetary Sciences, it added.

Two scientists Dr Rama Govindarajan, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Bangalore, and Dr Budaraju Srinivasa Murty, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, are getting the award under Engineering Sciences category while Dr B V Rajarama Bhat, IISC Bangalore, has earned the award for Mathematical Sciences.

In the category of Medical Sciences, Dr Pundi Narasimhan Rangarajan of the IISC, Bangalore, gets the award whereas Dr Yashwant Gupa of National Centre for Radio Astrophysics, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Pune and Dr Pinaki Majumdar, Harish Chandra Research Institute, Allahabad, are chosen for their contributions in Physical Sciences research.

UNI