11th August 2009, New Delhi: The Gujar Mal Modi Science Foundation has conferred this year’s award to Prof. P. Balaram, ‘Padam Shri’ – an internationally renowned scientist for his outstanding contributions in the field of Molecular Biophysics. Mr Pranab Mukherjee, Hon’ble Finance Minister, Govt of India, gave the award to Prof. P. Balaram Chandra at an event held today in the capital in the presence of Mr. S K Modi, President, Modi Enterprises.

The award, carrying a cash prize of Rs.Two Lakh and One thousand, a scroll of honour and a silver shield was presented to Professor P. Balaram on the occasion of the 107th birth anniversary of Late Gujar Mal Modi.

Prof Balaram is a Professor of Molecular Biophysics and currently the Director of the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore. He is also a Fellow of the Indian Academy of Sciences, Indian National Science Academy and the Third World Academy of Sciences, Trieste, Italy. He has received many awards / honours in recognition of his work, of which mention must be made of the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize of CSIR (1986), Alumni Award for Excellence in Research from IISC (1991), TWAS Award in Chemistry (1994), G.D. Birla Award for Scientific research (1994), Distingusihed Alumnus Award of IIT Kanpur (2000) and Padam Shri by the Government of India (2002). He has served on many committees of the Government of India, and is currently a Member, Science Advisory Committee to the Union Cabinet and Scientific Advisory Council to the Prime Minister, among others.
Announcing the details for this year’s award, Mr. Satish Kumar Modi, President of Gujar Mal Modi Science Foundation said, “Professor P. Balaram is an acclaimed leader in Molecular Biophysics with many outstanding contributions. The Gujar Mal Modi Award is being awarded to him this year in recognition of his outstanding genius.”
Prof Balaram joins an impressive list of previous awardees, which includes names like Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, Dr K. Kasturirangan, MP and Former Chairman of ISRO, Prof. Satish Dhawan, and Prof. T. V. Ramakrishnan.

About the Award:

Gujar Mal Modi Innovative Science and Technology Award is among the highest cash awards in the country in the field of Science and Technology. The award was instituted in 1988 in the memory of one of the great industrialists of India, late Rai Bahadur Gujar Mal Modi. It is given each year to a person who has demonstrated the qualities of excellence and innovation through outstanding research and providing leadership in the development and promotion of Science and Technology in India.

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