By IANS,
New Delhi : Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Tuesday congratulated eminent scientist C.N.R. Rao on his being awarded the August Wilhelm-von-Hoffimann Medal for his contribution to chemistry, saying it was a matter of great pride for India’s scientific community.
“It is a matter of great pride for India’s scientific community that one of our most outstanding and respected scientists has been honoured by this prestigious medal,” the prime minister said in his congratulatory message.
“It is just and due recognition not only for your pioneering scientific achievements in the field of chemistry but also for the seminal efforts you have made for the development of science in India.”
Rao, who is the chair of the Scientific Advisory Council to the prime minister, has worked mainly in solid state and structural chemistry.
The award given by the German Chemical Society is the highest international medal in chemistry, awarded once in two to three years.
This is also the first time that it has been awarded to an Indian scientist. Previously, the medal had been awarded to Nobel laureates and other leaders in chemical research.