KOZHIKODE: Malayali mathematician and professor at IIT-Bombay U K Anandavardhanan and organic chemist Subi Jacob George of Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research have won this year’s Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize for mathematics and chemical sciences, respectively. While Anandavardhanan shared the prestigious honour with Rajat Subhra Hazra from Indian Statistical Institute, Subi George won the prize along with Dr Jyotirmayee Dash from Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science. The award was announced during the foundation day of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) on Saturday.
The prize is given to Indian scientists below the age of 45 for outstanding research in biology, chemistry, environment science, engineering, mathematics, medicine and physics.Anandavardhanan got the award for his research in number theory. “I work in an area where one investigates certain algebraic structures called ‘groups’ with a view towards number theory, called the Langlands programme,” Anandavardhanan told TNIE from Mumbai. “It was Chandrasekharan sir, my math teacher at the Government Arts and Science College in Kozhikode, who channelled me to the world of mathematics.
He taught maths in pre-degree and BSc,” he said. He completed his schooling from the Government Model High School, Calicut University Campus. He had also secured a PhD from the University of Hyderabad. He conducted his post-doctoral research at the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai.
Subi George, associate chair and professor at the Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Bengaluru, belongs to Aarakunnu near Piravam. “I have been working on supermolecular synthesis and organic optoelectronic materials,” he told TNIE. Subi had his schooling at Veliyanad before completing his degree from Ernakulam Maharaja’s College. He secured first rank in MSc chemistry from MGU’s School of Chemical Sciences.
Anandavardhanan, IIT-B professor, works in an area investigating algebraic structures called ‘groups’ with a view towards number theory, called the ‘Langlands programme’
Subi George, associate chair and professor at the JNCASR, Bengaluru, has been working on supermolecular synthesis and organic optoelectronic materials