Infosys Science Foundation (ISF) awarded winners of the Infosys Prize 2021 on Thursday for their contributions to science and research. The awards were presented to the winners in six fields at a function held virtually.
The work of the winners this year addresses some of the greatest challenges of modern times, studying the effects of climate change on fragile eco systems and contributing to more effective conservation strategies, designing a robust indigenous platform for rapid testing of deadly diseases like COVID-19 and TB, understanding the nuclear force to better harness nuclear energy for the benefit of humankind, and addressing issues such as sexual violence and jurisprudence in society, a statement from the ISF said.
Prof. Arvind (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) was awarded for Engineering and Computer Science, Prof. Kaushik Basu (Cornell University and former SVP, World Bank) for Social Sciences, Prof. Akeel Bilgrami (Columbia University) for Humanities, Prof. Chandrashekhar Khare (University of California, Los Angeles) for Mathematical Sciences, Prof. Shrinivas Kulkarni (California Institute of Technology) for Physical Sciences, and Prof. Mriganka Sur (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) for Life Sciences.
They were felicitated by Prof. Gagandeep Kang, Professor at CMC Vellore, Infosys Prize laureate 2016, and one of the leading virologists in the country. The award comprises a gold medal, a citation and a cash prize of USD 100,000, the statement said.
