The others in the list include Padma Vibhushan awardee Kapila Vatsyayan, theatre personality, Neeta Mohindra. Kanwaljeet Deol, Reena Kaushal Dhanshaktu and Mohini Giri.
The awards have been instituted by PECOBA (Punjab Engineering College Chandigarh Old Boys Association) and are given to women achievers annually in the memory of Chawla, .

The awards are presented by Kalpana's father Banarasi Lal Chawla every year at the Annual Homage Function at the Indian National Science Academy (INSA) Auditorium.
The Indian-American NASA astronaut was one of seven crew members killed in the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster in 2003.