Two IISc profs among Infosys Prize winners

Two IISc professors are among the six researchers who have been chosen for the Infosys Prize 2018, which was announced on Tuesday.

The 10th edition of awards given by Infosys Science Foundation had winners from across the country as well as those abroad. The prizes are awarded under six categories- ranging from physical sciences and engineering to social sciences and humanities.

The winners will be presented with the award, which includes a purse of USD 100,000 (about Rs 70 lakh) at an event to be held on January 5. Canada-based mathematician Manjul Bhargava is expected to hand over the prizes.

K Dinesh, president of the Foundation, said, “We hope the prize encourages the researchers to continue their work and achieve bigger goals. At the same time, we want this to instil in children curiosity about science,” he said.

Indian Institute of Science (IISc) professor Navakanta Bhat, who won the prize in the Engineering and Computer Science category, said a creative approach to science was needed for achieving a breakthrough.

“We are increasingly confining ourselves to one field of studies. Students who pursue science should also read literature.

@I studied Kannada medium and read novels of great writers like Shivaram Karanth, which has contributed immensely for my development,” he said.

Another winner, S K Satheesh, professor at the IISc’s Divecha Centre for Climate Change, stressed the importance of involving policy-makers to address challenges posed by climate change.

Other winners sent their response through video messages. Infosys founder N R Narayana Murthy was present.

Tie-up with NY Academy

To find a quicker end to malnutrition and drinking water shortage, Infosys Science Foundation has tied up with New York Academy of Sciences.

K Dinesh of the foundation said the New York Academy has the expertise to select among the thousands of students who will participate in the hackathon-like challenge.

“The effort is towards finding a global solution for malnutrition through innovative approaches,” he said.

Awards

Engineering and Computer Science
Navakanta Bhat, professor at Indian Institute of Science (IISc), for his work on novel biosensors

Humanities
Kavita Singh, professor at School of Arts and Aesthetics, JNU, for her work on art history and visual culture in India.

Life Sciences
Roop Mallik, professor at Department of Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, for his work on molecular motor proteins.

Mathematical Sciences
Nalini Anantharaman, chair of Mathematics at Institute for Advanced Study, University of Strasbourg, for her work on Quantum Chaos.

Physical Science
S K Satheesh, professor at Divecha Centre for Climate Change, IISc, for his work on black carbon aerosols.

Social Sciences
Sendhil Mullainathan, professor of Computation and Behavioural Science, University of Chicago Booth School of Business, for his work on behavioural economics.