Dr Shashi Bala Singh receives DRDO award for high altitude research

Jammu, June 1 (ANI): The Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, conferred the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) Scientist of the year award to eminent woman scientist and Director of the Defence Institute of High Altitude Research (DIHAR), Leh, Ladakh, Dr Shashi Bala Singh.

Dr Singh in the presence of Defence Minister A K Antony and DRDO Director V.K. Saraswat conferred the award upon her at the DRDO Bhawan on May 26.

Dr Shashi Bala Singh has immensely contributed to the understanding of high altitude physiology and pioneered the development of nutraceuticals and prophylactics for several high altitude maladies that include hypophagia and cognitive impairment.

Having taken over as Director, DIHAR from 2007, she has taken the institute to new heights by not only improving the agro-animal research standards in the lab, but also augmenting the 'laboratory to field' research through training programmes for local farmers on the technologies developed by DIHAR.

These efforts have led to a synergy and harmony between the troops stationed in the Ladakh sector and the local population thus contributing to internal security of the region.

Besides that she has pioneered research on non-conventional energy sources, permafrost based germplasm conservation, climate change mitigation and development of herbal interventions for improving performance at high altitude.

In recognition of these multidimensional research efforts that have shown the monotonous, white, uninhabitable and barren mountainous terrains of Ladakh the colors of green and the light of hope, DIHAR, under the leadership of Dr Shashi Bala Singh has received the, Technology Spin off award in 2008, Titanium Trophy in 2009 and The Innovation of India Award-2010. (ANI)