Elsevier, the information analytics business specializing in science and health, announced the Honorable Vice President of India, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu, presided over the 12th NASI-Scopus Young Scientist Awards 2018 at a gala ceremony held at Vigyan Bhawan in Delhi.

The Awards recognize young early career researchers from the scientific community who have contributed towards bolstering key flagship national programs through their body of research work such as the "Make in India", "Digital India", "Healthy India" and "Clean India " initiatives.

The NASI-Scopus Young Scientist Awards, currently in its twelfth year, is a joint collaboration between Elsevier and National Academy of Sciences, India (NASI) to celebrate the best and brightest young scientists in India, whose works cut across a broad spectrum of key research disciplines.

The Awards program is part of Elsevier's global initiative to support young researchers in India to enable and encourage them to expand the frontiers of science in their chosen areas of study leading to excellence in their respective disciplines.

India's Vice President and Guest of Honor, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu, said: "At a time when the world has become a global village and boundaries of different disciplines are blurring, the role of science and technology becomes far more important than ever before. I compliment the National Academy of Sciences India and Elsevier for instituting these Awards to promote scientific excellence among the youngsters.

The winners of the NASI-Scopus Young Scientist Awards 2018 are:

• Agriculture, Plant Sciences and Rural Development
    Dr. Jitender Giri, National Institute of Plant Genome Research, New Delhi
  
  • Biomedical Research and Healthcare
    Dr. Maddika Subba Reddy, Group Leader and Staff Scientist- V, CDFD, Hyderabad
  
  • Environmentally Sound Sustainable Development
    Dr. Vimal Chandra Srivastava, Indian Institute of Technology-Roorkee, Roorkee
  
  • Innovation in Engineering and Physical Sciences
    Dr. Ajay S. Karakoti, Associate Professor, Ahmedabad University, Ahmedabad
  
  •Women in Science
    Dr. Zhumur Ghosh, Bose Institute, Kolkata
  
  The Award winners each received a citation and a plaque, along with a cash prize of INR 75,000 for outstanding contribution in categories related to key areas of national priorities. 

This year's award program attracted more than 750 submissions from premier research institutions across India such as IITs, IISc, NIPGR, CSIR and JNU among others, and applications were judged by a panel of 19 subject experts from India's academic community based on the criteria like; The quality and number of publications, the nature and uniqueness of research, outcomes of research, impact on society, and vision of the researcher etc.