Karnataka scientist selected for Padma Vibhushan

Noted science educator Yash Pal and Roddam Narsimha, former Professor of Aerospace Engineering at the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore,  were today selected for Padma Vibhushan, the country's second highest civilian awards.

Acclaimed theoretical physicist and recipient of the three-million-dollar Fundamental Physics Prize Ashoke Sen, Brahmos chief A Shivathanu Pillai, DRDO Director General V K Saraswat, were among the Padma Bhushan awardees.

Noted paediatrician and former Secretary Department of Biotechnology Maharaj Kishan Bhan and former Director of the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre and the driving force behind the ambitious space recovery capsule experiment, B N Suresh were also chosen for the Padma Bhushan.

Odisha-born American physicist Jogesh Chandra Pati and Indian-American aerospace engineer Satya Atluri were also among the Padma Bhushan awardees. Avinash Chander, the chief designer of long-range missile systems programme of DRDO; Mutansir Barma, theoretical physicist and Director Tata Institute of Fundamental Research; Ajay K Sood, President of the Indian Academy of Sciences; Sanjay Dhande, former Director of IIT-Kanpur; and Sankar Kumar Pal, former Director of Indian Statistical Institute were among the Padma Shri awardees.

Among the other Padma Shri awardees in science and engineering category were Deepak B Phatak, Manindra Agrawal, Sharad Pandurang Kale, Krishnaswamy Vijayraghavan and Jayaraman Gowrishankar.

While Vijayraghavan was recently appointed as Secretary, Department of Biotechnology, Gowrishankar is the Director of the Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics.

Noted Oncologist Pramod Kumar Julka and another well known oncologist and Director of the Tata Memorial Centre Rajendra Badwe were also chosen for the Padma Shri.