BHUBANESWAR: Mexican scientist Raul Rene Drucker will receive the prestigious UNESCO-Kalinga Prize for 2011. Drucker, who specialises in Physiology and Neurobiology and is a columnist, was chosen for popularisation of science. He is likely to receive the award from Prime Minister Manmohan Singh who will be in the City for the 99th Indian Science Congress on January 3. The UNESCO-Kalinga Prize, awarded by UNESCO and funded by Kalinga Foundation Trust, carries a cash award of $ 22,000. The Trust members on Saturday announced that they had received information from UNESCO about Drucker being nominated for the prize. However, they had difficulty in explaining the profile of the scientist saying they were yet to receive the same. The award will be conferred to mark the 60th year of UNESCO-Kalinga prize next year. Although the Trust will hold seminars and conferences of scientists over two days on January 4 and 5 marking the occasion, plans are afoot to request the Prime Minister to confer the award on January 3. “We have requested the Prime Minister’s Office to give the award. If the PMO confirms, the award will be given on January 3 by Singh or else, it will be conferred on Drucker on January 4,” Trust chairman Bhabani Charan Patnaik told mediapersons here. At least 15 Kalinga Award recipients over the decades will attend the function. The award will be given in Bhubaneswar for the first time. Earlier, it was given away abroad and for some time in Delhi. Joint Managing Trustee and Culture and Tourism Minister Prafulla Samal said ‘Kalinga Samman’ will also be presented to two Odias on the occasion and their nomination is still under process. The Kalinga Prize, as it was earlier known, was the brainchild of Biju Patnaik, the then managing trustee. Rajya Sabha member and chairman of the reception committee Pyarimohan Mohapatra and convener Bimal Das spoke.
Comments
0 comment