Ahmedabad, 9 July, 2014

Physical Research Laboratory (PRL), Ahmedabad today announced the Hari Om Ashram prerit Dr. Vikram Sarabhai Research Awards and PRL Award, for the year 2013.

PRL has chosen six outstanding scientists for their significant contributions to various fields.

The recipients of the Hari Om Ashram Prerit Dr. Vikram Sarabhai Research Awards in different fields are:

1. Space Sciences

Dr. Tarun Kumar Pant from Space Physics Laboratory, Thiruvananthapuram for his significant contributions towards understanding Atmospheric coupling processes, in particular, the association of electrojet and counter electrojet with neutral atmospheric dynamics.

2. Space Application

Shri Joji J. Chaman from ISRO Inertial Systems Unit, Thiruvananthapuram, for his innovative and outstanding contributions in inertial navigation system for spacecrafts essential for terrestrial and planetary missions.

3. Electronics, Informatics, Telematics & Automation

This award has been conferred jointly to:

i) Prof. Souvik Mahapatra, Department of Electrical Engineering, IIT Bombay, Mumbai, for his significant contribution and development of Negative Bias Temperature Instability tolerant CMOS devices; and

ii) Prof. Ranjan Bose, Department of Electrical Engineering, IIT Delhi, New Delhi, for his outstanding contributions in the area of coding for secure communication.

The PRL Award is shared by:

1. Dr. N. V. Chalapathi Rao from Department of Geology, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, for his pioneering contributions on Indian kimberlites and mantle processes influencing their evolution.

2. Dr. J. S. Ray from Geosciences division, Physical Research Laboratory, Ahmedabad, for his significant contributions on origin and evolution of Indian carbonatites and the Andaman subduction zone.

Each award carries a Medal and a Cash Prize of Rs. 50,000/- and will be presented at a ceremony to be held on 12 August 2014, Birth Anniversary of Dr. Vikram A. Sarabhai, at the Physical Research Laboratory, Ahmedabad. All the awardees will deliver a talk on that day which will highlight scientific contributions made by them.

The Vikram Sarabhai Awards were instituted from funds provided by Pujya Shri Mota of Hari Om Ashram, Nadiad, and the PRL Award is supported by the Aruna Lal Endowment Fund established by late Prof. Devendra Lal, former Director of PRL.