Goemkarponn desk
PANAJI: The State Government will observe the 50th Death anniversary of late Dayanand B. Bandodkar, popularly known as Bhausaheb Bandodkar the first Chief Minister of Goa on August 12, 2023. To mark the momentous occasion a memorial lecture on the theme “Building New India as an Exponential Inspirator” will be delivered by Dr. Raghunath Mashelkar, FRS at 5.00 p.m. on August 12, 2023, at Panjim Gymkhana, Campal Panaji, Goa. Chief Minister will attend the function.
Dr. Raghunath Anant Mashelkar who hails from Goa is a renowned scientist known for world-class scientific research, transformative science and innovative institution leadership, pioneering different movements such as evolving global systems for traditional knowledge protection to help create strong yet balanced IPR systems, to inclusive innovation movement based on the concept of Gandhian Engineering that he pioneered.
Dr. Mashelkar’s connections with the international academic education and research community are deep and wide. He was the Director of the National Chemical Laboratory (1989-95) and later became the largest serving head of three major organizations, namely Director General of CSIR (1995-2006), Chairman of the National Innovation Foundation (2000-2018) and President of Global Research Alliance (2007-2017). He has also been the President of the Indian National Science Academy (2004-2006). Dr Mashelkar has been a Visiting Professor at Harvard University (2007-2012), Delaware University (1976-1988), Technology University of Denmark (1982), and Sir Louis Matheson Distinguished Professor at Monash University for fifteen years (2007- 2022). In India, he has been a Chancellor of Assam University, Silchar (2003-2005), Chancellor of the Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (2013-2016), and Chancellor of the Institute of Chemical Technology (2010 ) and Jio Institute (2020).
In post-liberalized India, Dr Mashelkar has played a critical role in shaping India’s S&T policies. He was a member of the Scientific Advisory Council to the Prime Minister of India set up by successive governments for thirty years. He was also a member of PM’s National Innovation Council.
Dr. Mashelkar has many firsts to his credit. He was the first Indian to win the most prestigious TWAS-Lenovo Science Prize (2018), the highest science prize by the World Academy of Science, the first Indian from India to be elected a Fellow of the US National Academy of Inventors (2017), and the first Asian Scientist to win the Business Week (USA) award of `Stars of Asia’ at the hands of George Bush (Sr.), the former President of USA and the first and only scientist so far to win the JRD Tata Corporate Leadership Award (1998). He is a jury member for the prestigious Queen Elizabeth Prize of Engineering, which is considered as being equivalent to the Nobel Prize in Engineering.
Dr. Mashelkar has promoted innovation in the corporate world. He chaired Reliance Innovation Council, KPIT Technologies Innovation Council, Thermax Innovation Council, Persistent Systems Innovation Council, Marico Foundation’s Governing Council and currently chairs the New Energy Council of Reliance. In August 1997, Business India named Dr Mashelkar as among the 50 path-breakers in post-independent India. In 1998, Dr Mashelkar won the JRD Tata Corporate Leadership Award, the only scientist to do so. He has been on the Board of Directors of several reputed companies such as Reliance Industries Ltd., Tata Motors Ltd., Hindustan Unilever Ltd., Thermax Ltd., Piramal Enterprises Ltd., KPIT Technologies Ltd. and others.
Dr. Mashelkar set up in his mother’s name Anjani Mashelkar Foundation, which gives the Anjani Mashelkar Inclusive Innovation Awards since 2007. Since 2011, he has been the President of Pune International Centre, which is India’s leading think tank, well known for its outstanding policy research.
Dr Mashelkar has received a record 46 honorary doctorates from universities around the world. The President of India honoured Dr Mashelkar with three of the highest civilian awards, namely Padmashri (1991), Padmabhushan (2000) and Padma Vibhushan (2014). In 2013, he was conferred Goa’s highest civilian honour, the Gomant Vibhushan.
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