Padma Awards: A look at stalwarts who won the prestigious honour in Science & Engineering

The Padma Awards ceremony, which was organised at the Rashtrapati Bhawan on, Monday, November 8, witnessed several stalwarts from the field of Science and Engineering being awarded for their contributions. President Ram Nath Kovind bestowed the prestigious award to the nominees from India, who devoted their lives to society. Here's a look at the eight winners who etched their name in the list of fourth-highest civilian awards of India.

1. Raman Gangakhedkar

Currently serving as a member of the World Health Organisation's (WHO) expert group, Gangakhedkar won the award for his contributions in the field of virology. Hailing from Maharashtra, the senior virologist is known for his work towards AIDS control and is currently assigned with the project to discover the origins of the COVID-19 virus.

2. Sujoy K Guha

Also based in Maharashtra, Sujoy K Guha is regarded as one of the founders of Biomedical Engineering in India. Guha won the award for his work in the field of biomedical engineering. 

3. Sudhir Jain

Founder and Director of IIT Gandhinagar, Sudhir Jain, based in Gujarat won the award for his contributions in the field of Earthquake Engineering.

4. Naveen Khanna

Naveen Khanna was awarded the Padma Shri for his works in the field of Biotechnology. Based in Gujarat, he is credited for effective diagnostic kits for Dengue and Chikungunya.

5. Kattungal Subramaniyam Manilal

A veteran Botany scholar and Taxonomist, K.S Manilal from Kerala won the award for his contributions in the field of Botany and Taxonomy.

6. Vashishtha Narayan Singh

Hailing from Bihar, Vashishtha Narayan Singh was awarded the Padma Shree posthumously for his works in Mathematics. He is considered a renowned Mathematician and senior scientist. 

7. Pradeep Thalappil

Known for his contribution in the nanochemistry-based water purification and Arsenic removal technique, Pradeep Thalappil, from Gujarat, won the Padma Shri for Material Science. 

8. Harish Chandra Verma

Hailing from Uttar Pradesh, Harish Chandra Verma is a senior physicist and professor at IIT Kanpur. He won the Padma Shri for his contributions in the vast field of Physics. 

Image: Twitter/@mygovindia