BENGALURU: Two professors from Indian Institute of Science (IISc) were declared as Infosys prize awardees on Tuesday by Infosys Science Foundation. A total of six awardees were selected for the 10th edition of the prize which carries a gold medal, a citation and a prize purse of $1,00,000 (equivalent in `) to be given tax free to the awardees.
Prof S K Satheesh, Centre for Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, IISc, was given the award in the physical sciences category for his work in climate change. Satheesh’s studies on black carbon aerosols and their influence on the energy balance in the atmosphere over the Indian subcontinent was cited as the work that earned him the award.
The other awardee from the IISc is Prof Navakanta Bhat, who is recognised for his pioneering efforts to build cutting edge infrastructure for research and talent training in nanoscale systems and also for his contribution to developing technologies for space and national security applications.
Other awardees include Prof Kavita Singh, Dean, School of Arts and Aesthetics, Jawaharlal Nehru University in the Humanities category for her study of Mughal, Rajput and Deccan art and for her work which shows the significance of museums in highlighting the social impact of art.
The life sciences awardee is Roop Mallik, Associate Professor, Department of Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research for his work on molecular motor proteins, crucial for the functioning of living cells.
Prof Nalini Anantharaman of the Institute for Advanced Study, University of Strasbourg, France, was selected for her work in the field of mathematical sciences, specifically for her work towards the study of the subatomic world and the relationship between classical and quantum systems.
Prof Sendhil Mullainathan of the University of Chicago Booth School of Business was awarded the prize for the social sciences category for his path-breaking work in behavioral economics.