Dr Suman Sahai, who has had a distinguished scientific career in the field of genetics, has been honoured with Borlaug Award 2004. After her PhD degree from the Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, she served on the Faculties of the Universities of Alberta in Canada, Chicago in the US and Heidelberg in Germany from 1981 to 1989. Dr Sahai returned to India in 1989 and organized Gene Campaign, a non-governmental organization dedicated to fostering genetic and trade literacy among farmers and the general public. Gene Campaign has been at the forefront of generating awareness on issues relating to trade, intellectual property rights and genetic resources conservation and sustainable use. Dr Sahai has been working both at the grassroots and policy levels, with great dedication and considerable impact. She is member of several national policy forums on environment, biotech and intellectual property rights as well as education and health.

Praj Industries CMD receives JMCCI Award

Pramod Chaudhari, chairman and managing director of Pune-based Praj Industries, received the Jagatik Marathi Chamber of Commerce & Industries (JMCCI)'s "National Level Entrepreneurship Award" from Mohammad Fazal, Governor of Maharashtra recently. This award was in recognition of not only his "entrepreneurship" but also his achievements in taking Praj, an Indian company, into the "global arena" through innovation of biotechnology-led processes for renewable sources of energy like ethanol. He has been actively promoting the concept of Indian engineering and biotechnology exports at various global forums.

NIPER Professor gets Bioscience Award

Prof. Chinmoy Sankar Dey of National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER) has been awarded the National Bioscience Award 2003-2004 by the Department of Biotechnology, Government of India. The award, which carries a cash prize of Rs 1 lakh, a research grant of Rs 9 lakh for three years, and a citation, is given by DBT to recognize the outstanding contributions of young scientists in basic and applied research, covering all areas of biosciences.

Dr Dey has been awarded for his contributions in target-based screening technology against insulin resistance as well as for his research on focal adhesion kinase in skeletal muscle.