By: Express News Service | Pune |
Updated: February 8, 2020 9: 02: 26 am
ISRO Chairman K Sivan and CSIR Director General Shekhar Mande were presented with Vijnan Ratna and Vijnan Bhushan award, respectively, in Pune on Friday. (Express photo/Pavan Khengre)K Sivan, chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and Shekhar Mande, Director General, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), on Friday were bestowed with HK Firodia Memorial awards for their contributions to science.
Sivan was presented with the Vijnan Ratna award while Mande received the Vijnan Bhushan award. Eminent scientist Raghunath Mashelkar presented the award to Sivan and Vijay Bhatkar, Chancellor, Nalanda University, and the man behind India’s first supercomputer Param, handed the award to Mande during the 24th edition of the award ceremony held in Pune on Friday.
A senior molecular biologist, Mande has worked extensively on tuberculosis. He presented his work on Friday, saying even though TB was a dreadful disease, timely diagnosis and proper treatment can cure it.
Sivan shared some of ISRO’s upcoming missions, including Gaganyaan.
“Before Gaganyaan, ISRO will undertake first unmanned mission by the end of 2020. Tests and validation are currently on,” he said.
“Spin-off of space technology is important and one such Transfer of Technology (ToT) of the Lithium-ion (Li ion) cell technology has been done with the industry. This comes at a time when there is a growing demand for renewable energy and the move shall help the government’s push for electric vehicles,” the ISRO chairman said.
K Vijay Raghavan, Principle Scientific Adviser to the Government of India, through a video message said the committee of HK Firodia Memorial Awards must also consider women scientists for the coveted awards.
“There are many women performing outstanding work and their efforts too need to be recognised,” said Raghavan.
Earlier, the ISRO chief visited Muktangan Science Exploratory Centre, where he interacted with several school students.
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