Jayadeva Hospital Director Dr. C.N. Manjunath gets Sir M. Visvesvaraya State Award for Senior Scientist

Bengaluru: To recognise and reward scientific and technological talent in the State, the Department of Information Technology, Biotechnology and Science & Technology has instituted several awards to Scientists and Engineers of Karnataka who have made significant contribution in various fields of science and technology. These awards are being given every year since 1996.

The Government has constituted a high-level Selection Committee under the Chairmanship of Bharat Ratna Prof. C.N.R. Rao to select eligible scientists and engineers for these awards. Karnataka State Council for Science and Technology (KSCST) has been entrusted with the responsibility of implementing this programme.

Among the awards are: Sir. M. Visvesvaraya Award for Senior Scientists that carries a cash prize of Rs.2 lakh; Dr. Raja Ramanna Award for Scientists/ Engineers that carries a cash prize of Rs. 1.50 lakh; Sir C.V. Raman Award for Scientists carrying a cash prize of Rs. 1 lakh; Prof. Satish Dhawan award for Young Engineers that carries a cash prize of Rs. 1 lakh and Dr. Kalpana Chawla Award for Women Scientist/ Engineer that carries a cash prize of Rs. 1 lakh.

The Selection Committee has recommended 13 scientists and engineers to receive the awards for 2018 and the awards will be presented on Oct. 22 at 4 pm at J.N. Tata Auditorium, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru.

 This year, Dr. C. N. Manjunath, Director, Sri Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences and Research has bagged Sir M. Visvesvaraya State Award for Senior Scientist along with Prof. S. Ramasesha, Honorary Professor, Solid State and Structural Chemistry Unit, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru. 

Dr. Raja Ramanna State Award for Scientist goes to Prof. G. U. Kulkarni, Director, Centre for Nano and Soft Matter Sciences, Bengaluru and Dr. Pratima Murthy, Professor, Department of Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bengaluru. 

Prof. Annapurni Subramaniam, Professor, Indian Institute of Astrophysics, Bengaluru, Dr. Ranjani Viswanatha, Associate Professor, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Bengaluru, Dr. M. M. Srinivasa Bharath, Professor, Department of Neurochemistry, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bengaluru and Dr. Padubidri V. Shivaprasad, Associate Professor, National Centre for Biological Sciences, Bengaluru, have bagged Sir C.V. Raman State Award for Young Scientists.  

Prof. Satish Dhawan State Award for Young Engineers goes to Dr. Shayan Srinivasa Garani, Associate Professor, Department of Electronic Systems Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Dr. C. D. Madhusoodana, Additional General Manager, Ceramic Technological Institute, BHEL, Bengaluru, Prof. Pramod Kumar, Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru and Dr. Amitabh Saraf, Associate Technology Director, Aeronautical Development Agency, Bengaluru. 

Dr. Kalpana Chawla State Award for Young Women Scientist goes to Prof. Gayathri Devaraja, Professor, Department of Microbiology, Davanagere University, Davanagere. 

The awards will be presented by Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa. Deputy CM Dr. Ashwath Narayan, who holds Information Technology, Biotechnology and Science Technology, Higher Education and Medical Education portfolios, will preside over the function.