BHUBANESWAR: FORMER director of National Institute of Science Education and Research (NISER) Dr Sudhakar Panda will receive the Biju Patnaik Award for Scientific Excellence for the year 2020.
The award, announced by Odisha Bigyan Academy on Thursday following approval of the Science and Technology department, carries a cash reward of Rs 2 lakh, a citation and memento.
The academy also announced the Samanta Chandra Sekhar Award will be conferred on Prof Luna Samanta of Ravenshaw University, chief scientist of CSIR-IMMT Dr Danda Srinivas Rao, Prof Anup Kumar Panda of NIT-Rourkela and Dr Saroj Kanta Barik, director of National Botanical Research Institute, Lucknow. They will be given cash award of Rs 1 lakh along with citation and memento.
The Young Scientists Award will be given to Dr Shasank Sekhar Swain of ICMR-RMRC, Dr Nibedita Dash, Dr Satyaprasad and P Senanayak of NISER and Dr Jnana Ranjan Senapati of NIT-Rourkela.
Similarly, Prof Sangeeta Rath and Himansu Sekahar Fatesingh will receive Prana Krushna Parija Popular Science Book Award.
The young scientists and the authors will receive cash award of Rs 25,000 along with a citation and memento. Besides, scientists Prof Bhaskar Dash, Sanjukta Dash, Prof Satyananda Swain and Prof Ajay Kumar Patra will be felicitated as senior scientists. The awards will be conferred at a ceremony to be held soon.
The award for Dr Panda carries cash reward of Rs 2 lakh, a citation and memento
Samanta Chandra Sekhar Award carries cash reward of Rs 1 lakh