HYDERABAD: Prof Appa Rao, like other recipients, has been honoured by Indian Science Congress Association(ISCA) for significant and lifetime contribution to the development of Science and Technology in the country. ISCA, in the award letter, admired the contributions against various odds. ISCA stated that it is an attempt to pay humble respects and also to salute renowned scientists in India.
According to a press release from UoH, Prof Appa Rao has been an institution builder and shaped the way science and technology should develop.
Meanwhile, Dalit scholars Dontha Prashanth, Seshu Chemudugunta and Vijay Pedapudi, the scholars against whom disciplinary action was initiated by UoH, said that the honour has gone to “a plagiarist, sub-standard scholar and a criminal”. They called the award to VC a disgrace to scientists across the country.
Prof. Appa Rao has been a member of the task force on ‘bioagents for agriculture’, set up by the Department of Biotechnology, Government of India (GoI) and member of the programme advisory committee on ‘plant sciences’, setup by the department of science and technology, GoI.
However, Rohith’s brother Raja Vemula, when contacted, said that this is an insult to Bharath Mata, who prime minister Narendra Modi said had ‘lost a child’ in Rohith’s death. “The same Modi is honoring the number one accused responsible for atrocities on SC, STs and Dalits,” Raja said.
“Post-Rohith Vemula’s socio-politico-institutional murder on January 17, 2016 and the subsequent Dalit-Bahujan uprising across the country gave birth to many stooges who helped in suppressing the movement. Appa Rao Podile is one such stooge who is now being rewarded for the services to his masters in BJP,” said Prashanth.