BHUBANESWAR: Two Odisha-born scientists Dr Digendranath Swain and Dr Swarup Kumar Parida were awarded the country’s highest science award - Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar - by President Droupadi Murmu at New Delhi on Thursday.
They are among the 18 scientists who received the Vigyan Yuva-SSB award, given to recognise scientists who have exceptionally contributed to any field of science and technology. The award recognises the scientists’ significant contribution in the areas spanning from the study on the warming of the Indian Ocean and its consequences, to the development of indigenous 5G base stations and communication and precision tests of quantum mechanics.
Dr Parida, a scientist with National Institute of Plant Genome Research (NIPGR) at New Delhi, was instrumental in developing various concepts on integrated next-generation molecular breeding. He deployed it for efficient genetic dissection of complex stress tolerance, yield and plant architectural traits in order to accelerate crop improvement of rice and chickpea.
Similarly, Dr Swain heads the experimental techniques section (EXMD/STR) at ISRO. He is responsible for structural qualification of launch of vehicles/rocket components using advanced experimental stress analysis tools and optical methods.