Waghmare, only Bengalurean, to make the cut for Infy Prize

The six winners of the Infosys Science Prize 2015 were announced to the press at the Infosys Science Foundation in Electronics City on Monday morning. The prize is awarded under the aegis of the foundation, a not-for-profit trust instituted in February 2009. The award is now in its seventh year and has gone on to become one of the most sought-after academic prizes in the country. Mr S.D. Shibulal, President, Board of Trustees, Infosys Science Foundation, said, “We set up the foundation and instituted the prize to restore the romance of research. As we move into our seventh year, the Infosys Science Foundation continues to foster a culture of scientific thinking through various initiatives.”

Scrutinising Indian philosophy and shedding light on similarities and the dichotomy between Indian and Greek philosophical reasoning is what earned Prof. Jonardon Ganeri, Global Network, Visiting Professor of Philosophy, New York University a place on the prestigious list this year, in the Humanities category. Dr Amit Sharma, who won the award for Life Sciences, has made pioneering contributions toward deciphering molecular structure and the atomic level of key proteins involved in the pathogenesis of the malarial parasite. Prof. G. Ravindra Kumar, from the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, who is the winner in the Physical Sciences Category, has made significant contributions to the high-intensity laser matter interactions.

Prof. Mahan Maharaj, Associate Professor of Mathematics, Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda University, Belur Math, received the prize in the Mathematical Sciences category for his contributions to the geometric group theory, low-dimensional topology and complex geometry. Dr Srinath Raghavan, the winner of the final category – Social Sciences, is being lauded for “outstanding” research that synthesises military history, international politics and strategic analysis on India in a global context.

The winners are selected from nominations received from across universities, who are then scrutinised by a panel of jury members. The Awards Ceremony for the Infosys Prize 2015 will be held on February 13, 2016, in New Delhi. President Pranab Mukherjee will felicitate the winners.