Renowned scientists named for Sir Syed Ahmad Khan award

October 8th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Thursday congratulated India-born scientist Venkatraman Ramakrishnan for winning the 2009 Nobel Prize for Chemistry, and said it was a matter of great pride for the country and also a tribute to India's educational system and the teaching community. In a statement issued here, the prime minister said: "I warmly congratulate you on the award of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for 2009.

October 7th, 2009 Israeli woman potential Nobel chemistry winnerSTOCKHOLM — If Nobel judges are looking to improve the balance of women winning the chemistry prize, Israeli scientist Ada Yonath could be a strong candidate when the award is announced Wednesday. Yonath's pioneering work in understanding how cells build proteins could make her a contender, possibly along with American George Feher.

October 7th, 2009 LONDON - Indian-origin scientist Venkatraman Ramakrishan Wednesday said that he is "honoured" to share 2009 Nobel Prize for Chemistry but added that it's a "mistake to define good work by awards". Asked about his initial reaction when he heard the news, Venkatraman said: "Well, I think it's a great honour and surprise! I am very happy!" I think its a mistake to define good work by awards.

September 26th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Charusita Chakravarti of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi, Santosh G. Honavar of L.V.

September 18th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The government-appointed board of scam-tainted Satyam Computer Services has been conferred the "Dataquest Person of the Year" award for its role in helping overcome the biggest corporate fraud in the country. The leading tech magazine brought out by the niche publishing house CyberMedia presented the award to the firm's board led by its chairman Kiran Karnik instead of an individual, in what has been a departure from the past.

September 13th, 2009 Awards given for leukemia treatment, DNA advancesNEW YORK — Five scientists have won prestigious research awards for developing a life-saving leukemia treatment and for advances in "reprogramming" DNA, which led to a new kind of stem cell. The $250,000 Lasker Awards will be presented Oct.

September 10th, 2009 WASHINGTON - It is often said that scientists are press shy, and those who aren't, are mavericks. Now, University of Wisconsin-Madison researchers have debunked the theory.

August 18th, 2009 LONDON - British scientists have discovered a deadly plant that eats rats, and is believed to be the largest meat-eating shrub. According to a report in The Sun, the giant pitcher plant lures rodents into its slipper-shaped mouth and dissolves them with acid-like enzymes.

July 10th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Sanjay Kumar, an Indian American researcher at California University, Berkeley is among 100 beginning researchers named by President Barack Obama as recipients of the Presidential Early Career Awards for Scientists and Engineers. Kumar, 35, an assistant professor of bioengineering who studies cellular mechanics and bio-materials, and other awardees will receive the highest honour bestowed by the US government on young professionals at a White House ceremony in autumn.

June 17th, 2009 American engineers win Spanish prizeMADRID — Two American engineers who were instrumental in developing e-mail and mobile phones on Wednesday won one of Spain's prestigious Prince of Asturias awards for revolutionizing the way people communicate. Award organizers said the 2009 Prince of Asturias Award for Technical and Scientific Research went to Raymond Tomlinson and Martin Cooper, noting that their respective work in developing e-mail and cell phone systems in the 1970s was "among the greatest technological innovations of our time." Cooper, 80, invented the first handheld mobile telephone in 1973, while 68-year-old Tomlinson's programming and development of the "at" symbol revolutionized the system of electronic messages.

June 16th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Scientists have discovered a new species of phallus-shaped mushrooms on the African island of Sao Tome. The new species of stinkhorn mushroom, dubbed 'Phallus drewesii', is two inches long, grows on wood, and is shaped like a phallus.

June 10th, 2009 NEW YORK - Sulabh International, an Indian organisation popular for introducing low-cost toilet technology, has been selected for this year's prestigious Renewable Energy award. The Intergovernmental Renewable Energy Organisation (IREO) will present the award to Sulabh founder, Dr.Bindeshwar Pathak, at the United Nations headquarters here Thursday.

June 10th, 2009 Mexican university wins Spanish awardMADRID — The National Autonomous University of Mexico has been awarded Spain's Prince of Asturias Award for Communication and Humanities. The award foundation says in a statement Wednesday the near 100-year-old university "has become a point of reference, combining quality and an extensive academic and research offering with its firm commitment to disseminate culture, humanism and new technologies." The communication and humanities award is one of eight handed out each year by the Prince of Asturias Foundation.

June 7th, 2009 KARNAL - Scientists at the National Dairy Research Institute (NDRI) here in Haryana have successfully cloned a buffalo calf for the second time in the world, officials said Sunday. The institute had this February cloned the world's first buffalo calf.

February 22nd, 2009 NEW DELHI - Ten Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) students Saturday received Honda Motor's Young Engineers and Scientists (YES) awards here for excellence in the field of science and technology. M.G.K. Menon, advisor with the Indian Space Research Organisation, presented the awards to the 10 students, selected from five IITs on the basis of their performances.