The Vikram Sarabhai Medal (Governance)
The Vikram Sarabhai Medal (Governance)
Why In News:
The astronomer Dr Annapurni Subramaniam, Director of the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA), has been conferred the Vikram Sarabhai Medal, one of the most prestigious honours in Indian space science.
Source: The Indian Express, Page 7, 4 August 2026 - 'Vikram Sarabhai Medal for Annapurni Subramaniam'
About the Vikram Sarabhai Medal
It was initiated in 1990. The medal is awarded jointly by the Committee on Space Research (COSPAR) and Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
It honours Vikram Sarabhai, widely regarded as the 'Father of the Indian Space Programme', for outstanding contributions to space research in developing countries.
The award is presented biennially at the COSPAR Scientific Assembly and is open to candidates from any country.
Eligible work must generally have been carried out mainly in the five years preceding the year before the award ceremony.
About Dr Annapurni Subramaniam
She is the first woman astronomer to head the Indian Institute of Astrophysics, Bengaluru.
Her research areas include star clusters, stellar evolution, and stellar populations in galaxies including the Magellanic Clouds.
She completed her PhD at IIA and has served the institute in multiple roles before becoming its Director.
Other Indian recipients of the Vikram Sarabhai Medal include Anil Bharadwaj (2024), Gurbax Singh Lakhina (2014), and U. R. Rao (1996).
About Vikram Sarabhai
Vikram Ambalal Sarabhai (1919-1971) was an Indian physicist and astronomer who initiated India's space research programme and contributed to the development of nuclear power in India.
He was honoured with the Padma Bhushan (1966) and, posthumously, the Padma Vibhushan (1972).
He is credited with setting up the Physical Research Laboratory (PRL), Ahmedabad, and laying the foundation for what later became ISRO.
The Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), Thiruvananthapuram, ISRO's lead centre for launch vehicle design, is named after him.