M A I N   N E W S

CNR Rao: A Master Blaster among scientists
Shubhadeep Choudhury
Tribune News Service

His unbeaten knock CNR Rao is the Principal Scientific Adviser to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh He has published over 1,500 research papers in his career spanning over five decades Has received honorary doctorates from 60 universities, including the Oxford and the Notre Dame

Bangalore, November 16
“I think basic sciences are finally getting their due recognition”. That is how CNR Rao reacted when asked by journalists here today about his being conferred the Bharat Ratna, the country’s highest civilian award.

Rao, who never was very happy with Bangalore’s emergence as the IT capital of India and the IT services industry becoming the most sought-after career choice of engineering graduates, said he heard the news of Bharat Ratna at the Thruvananthapuram airport. He was there to board a flight to return home to Bangalore.

“I spoke to the Prime Minister and thanked him. I credit my family and students for the award,” Prof Rao told journalists on his arrival in Bangalore. He expressed satisfaction at being conferred the Bharat Ratna at the same time as Sachin Tendulkar.

In recent times, Rao has been compared with the Little Master for the sheer volume of his work. Rao has published over 1,500 research papers in his career spanning over five decades-an emphatic demonstration of his hunger for excellence, a character trait that is also associated with Sachin.

“This is a wonderful piece of news”, Prof Roddam Narasimha, eminent aerospace scientists and a Fellow of Royal Society (FRS), said about the conferring of the Bharat Ratna on fellow FRS CNR Rao.