National Award for Women Bioscientists

The Department of Biotechnology has instituted the ‘National Award for Women Bioscientists’ for the best women bioscientists in the country every year to provide an incentive for outstanding contributions in the field of biology and biotechnology.

There are two categories of awards : the senior category and the young category.

National Award for Senior Woman Bioscientist is awarded to a senior woman biologist for life-time contributions in terms of excellent research and application for the benefit of society. The award would carry Rs. 1.00 lakh along with a citation and a gold medal. One award is given under this category every year.

National Award for Young Woman Bioscientist is awarded to young women scientists below the age of 45 years as on 31st December, 2006 and pursuing a brilliant research career in biology. The award carries Rs. 50,000 with a citation and a gold medal. Contributions made in the last five years would be the main consideration. Two awards are given under this category every year.

The woman scientist should be a citizen of India and actively involved in research and/or teaching activities in biology and biotechnology in the country. For the senior category, there is no age limit. For the young woman bioscientist award, the candidate should be below 45 years of age as on the 31st December, 2006.

Women scientists working in the area of biology/ biotechnology can be nominated by members of the Scientific Advisory Committee-DBT; Standing Advisory Committee (Overseas)-DBT, Vice Chancellors/ Directors of Universities, Deemed Universities; Chairman, UGC; Directors General - CSIR, ICAR, ICMR, DRDO; Directors of Research Laboratories; Presidents of approved scientific societies and academies of All India nature, Secretaries of S&T Departments / Ministries such as DST, DBT, DSIR, Earth Sciences, New and Renewable Energy, Environment & Forests, Atomic Energy, Commerce, Industry, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare and Human Resource Development; and Member (Science) Planning Commission. Nominations will have to be sent in the prescribed proforma.

Individuals sponsoring their own names are not be considered.

The selection of candidates for the award is made on the basis of the recommendation of an expert committee constituted specifically for the purpose by the Department of Biotechnology. Selected candidates would be duly informed of their selection.

The following women scientists have been awarded the National Award for Women Bioscientists for the year 2006:

National Award for Senior Woman Bioscientist

Dr. Manju Sharma, Former Secretary, DBT

National Award for Young Women Bioscientists

1. Dr. Gagandeep Kang, CMC, Vellore

2. Dr. Ramanathan Sowdhamini, NCBS, Bangalore

Dr. Manju Sharma obtained her Ph.D. from Lucknow university and did post-doctoral work at Purdue university, USA.

From 1974 onwards, working in the Department of Science and Technology, Planning Commission, Office of Scientific Adviser to the PM, and Department of Biotechnology, she has played an important role in promoting science and technology in general and biosciences in particular. She has initiated and promoted many successful programmes in diverse areas: biomass production and conversion; biofertilizers; status reports on photosynthesis research; plant tissue culture for varied applications; biosphere reserves; report on the "Silent Valley" in Kerala and its conservation; transgenic research in crops; germplasm conservation; medicinal and aromatic plants; food biotechnology; diagnostics, new vaccines; human genetics etc. she has contributed immensely in many cases from the stage of conceptualisation to the implementation and successful conclusion. As Secretary of the Island Development Authority, she was responsible for initiating many new activities in Lakshadweep and Andaman & Nicobar Islands. She has specially promoted and guided the development of biotechnology in many States of India. Dr. Sharma is a fellow of Indian Academy of Wood Sciences, National Academy of Sciences and the Third World Academy of Sciences. She was also the President of the National Academy of Sciences, Allahabad. She is a recipient of the Birbal Sahni Memorial Gold Medal for best student from Lucknow University, VASVIK Award for the best woman scientist, Norman E. Borlaug Award, Distinguished Scientist Award from Indian Science Congress Association, and Padma Bhushan award by the Government of India.

She has published a number of papers in peer reviewed national and international journals and prepared important reports for the Government of India.

The National Award for Women Bioscientist under the senior category for the year 2006 is conferred on Dr. Manju Sharma in recognition of her vision and incessant efforts in shaping and steering research in biotechnology and new biology and for applying research results for the benefit of the society in the country.

Dr. Gagandeep Kang is presently working as Professor of Microbiology in the Department of Gastrointestinal Sciences, Christian Medical College, Vellore. She obtained her MD and Ph.D in microbiology from Christian Medical College, Vellore.Her broad area of research is diarrhoeal disease in children. Her main research thrust are in molecular epidemiology of rotaviruses and investigation of correlates of protection in natural infections, strategies for prevention and control of rotaviral infections. She has carried out molecular characterization of enteric parasites (Cryptosporidium spp.), viruses (calciviruses) and bacteria (Escherichia coli). Her studies focus on molecular genotyping to identify potential zoonotic infections resulting in genetic reassortment and inter-species spread.Dr. Kang has published many papers in national and international journals. She is the recipient of National Talent Scholarship, NCERT. She has been honoured with Core research professorship and Lourdu Yedanapalli Research Award by the Christian Medical College, Vellore. She has also received International Honorary appointments as Associate Faculty in Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore and Adjunct Professor in Tufts University, Boston.

The National Award for Women Bioscientists under the young category for the year 2006 is conferred on Dr. Gagandeep Kang for her significant contributions on rotaviral diarrhoeal diseases in children particularly on molecular epidemiology.

Dr. Ramanathan Sowdhamini is presently working as Associate Professor at National Centre for Biological Sciences (TIFR), Bangalore. She obtained Ph.D in Molecular Biophysics from Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore.

Her current area of research is in structure and function comparison of protein domain superfamilies that can be of value in predicting the functions of sequences available in genome databases. She has compiled databases of structurally aligned proteins grouped into superfamilies which permits identification of potential members in whole genome searches, analysis of the distribution of specific folds and families and for cross-genome comparisons.

Dr. Sowdhamini has published original papers and review articles in national and international journals. She has also received the International Senior Research Fellowship of the Wellcome Trust, UK.

The National Award for Women Bioscientists under the young category for the year 2006 is conferred on Dr. Ramanathan Sowdhamini for her significant contribution for the development of sensitive tools for accurate structure and function of proteins.

Source : Press Information Bureau
Date : March 12, 2007