Two senior scientists conferred with KSTA Lifetime Achievement Award

The Lifetime Achievement Award instituted by the Karnataka Science and Technology Academy (KSTA) was awarded to two distinguished senior scientists on Tuesday.

The Prof. C.N.R. Rao – KSTA Lifetime Achievement Award was given to Dr. Ramakrishna, scientist and former director of the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI), in recognition of his immense contribution to the field of Science and Technology. The awardee gets ₹2 lakh worth gold medal and ₹1 lakh cash.

The KSTA Lifetime Achievement Award in Science Communication in Kannada (2023) was conferred upon Sreemathi Hariprasad, former scientist at CFTRI, for her exceptional service in popularizing Science, Technology, Engineering, Agriculture, and Medicine (STEAM) in the Kannada language. The awardee gets ₹1 lakh worth gold medal and ₹75,000 cash.

The Fellow of KSTA honour to recognise the contributions of academicians, researchers, engineers, and technologists from academic institutions and industries across various fields of Science and Technology, was also given on the occasion. This distinction has been awarded since 2021 and for the year 2023, a total of 33 achievers were selected.

Minister for Science and Technology N.S. Boseraju, who presented the awards, said that the State government is committed to the comprehensive development of the Science and Technology sector in the State. “By providing further necessary support to the KSTA in the coming days, we will shape it into a model institution for the entire country,” he said.

The Minister added that cultivating a scientific temper and rational thinking among students and the youth is the urgent need of the hour. “Research and innovations should not be limited to laboratories; their benefits must reach the last person in society. Such programmes are inspiring in bridging the gap between science and society,” the Minister said.