Scientific research key to India's growth: Murthy

BANGALORE, INDIA: Infosys chairman and chief mentor N R Narayana Murthy today said that scientific research is the key to sustaining India’s growth. Murthy made this observation while announcing the winners of Infosys Prize 2010, instituted by Infosys Science Foundation.

“It is critical for India to ensure that research remains an attractive profession for the nation's finest minds. The Infosys Prize aims to recognize and acknowledge outstanding work done by researchers, creating role models and thereby encouraging the youth to pursue careers in scientific research,” he said.

Later, speaking to the media on the sidelines of the event, Narayana Murthy said, "Obama would be treated as a guest, without any expectations from him.  "athithi devo bhavo" is part of our culture."

He added that we should not be apologetic about being in outsourcing business. “We add sufficient value to corporations in the US. We have made them efficient by enhancing productivity and reducing cycle time... So there is no need for us to be apologetic, or to be shy," he said.

Infosys Prize recognizes outstanding contributions to scientific research that have impacted India. The winners across five categories — Mathematical Sciences, Physical Sciences, Engineering and Computer Science, Life Sciences and Social Sciences, were announced by the Trustees of the Infosys Science Foundation, including Narayana Murthy, K Dinesh and S Gopalakrishnan.

The winners of the Infosys Prize 2010 are:

Mathematical Sciences: Prof Chandrashekhar Khare, Mathematics Department, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles

Physical Sciences: Professor Sandip Trivedi, Theoretical Physics Department, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), Mumbai

Engineering and Computer Science: Professor Ashutosh Sharma, Chemical Engineering Department, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kanpur

Life Sciences: Dr. Chetan E. Chitnis, Principal Leader, Malaria Group, International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), Delhi

Social Sciences: Professor Amita Baviskar, Sociology Unit, Institute of Economic Growth (IEG), Delhi (for Sociology), and Prof Nandini Sundar, Sociology Department, Delhi School of Economics (DSE), Delhi (for Social Anthropology).

The winners of the Infosys Prize 2010 were chosen by jury panels comprising eminent scientists and professors from across the globe, said the foundation. In recognition of their outstanding contributions to scientific research, the winners will receive a cash prize of Rs 50 lakh, a citation certificate and a gold medallion.

The foundation said the award ceremony will be held on January 6, 2011 in Mumbai, where Dr. Manmohan Singh, Prime Minister of India will present the awards to the winners.

Applauding the award winners, K Dinesh, president of the Board of Trustees of the Infosys Science Foundation said, “On behalf of the Infosys Science Foundation, I would like to congratulate all the winners for their research achievements. Science like business, is planned, executed, learnt and re-executed.”

He said science has the power to transform all impertinent questions to pertinent answers.

“Progress towards development needs a balanced view of science and social sciences to alleviate human misery. The Infosys Science Foundation is a step in that direction for recognizing and rewarding world-class researchers,” he added.

The Infosys Prize was established as an annual prize across five categories to reward and recognize outstanding inventions or discovery or a cumulative body of work. It is amongst the largest in terms of prize money for any such honor in India. The objective of this prize is to elevate the prestige of scientific research in India and to inspire young Indians to pursue a career in scientific research.