Distinguished Alumnus Padma Shri Prof D Bala Golden Jubilee reunion visit to BITS Pilani

Sept. 24, 2009 - PRLog -- Prof Dorairajan Balasubramanian popularly known as D Bala is currently Director of Research, L. V. Prasad Eye Institute (LVPEI) Hyderabad. Prior to that he was Director, Centre for Cellular & Molecular Biology (CCMB), Hyderabad as well as Professor and Dean, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad. From 1967 to 1977 he had taught at Indian Institute of Technology – IIT Kanpur.

Bala’s research interests include Molecular and Cellular Approaches to understand and Treat Diseases of the Eye. He has published over 145 research papers and 2 books.

His other major interest includes work in the area of Public Understanding of Science, through popular science newspaper columns, radio and TV programs. In this context he has published over 300 popular articles and 6 books. Apart from working with governments and various agencies on issues of science and technology, Bala has been Chairman – Biotechnology Advisory Council Government of Andhra Pradesh.

Readers of the Century plus old English Newspaper in India "The Hindu" eagerly look forward week after week for his immensely popular Speaking of Science article.

The Honours and Awards won by him include Padma Shri by the President of India in 2002 as well as “Chevalier de l’Ordre National de Merite” by the President of France in the same year.

He is also Fellow of American Association for the Advancement of Science, Fellow of Third World Academy of Sciences, Fellow of International Molecular Biology Network as well as Fellow of all the three Indian Science Academies. In 1981, he was awarded the Bhatnagar Prize in Chemical Science, India and he is also recipient of the Ranbaxy, Goyal, Bhasin and FICCI Awards, India. In 1995 he bagged the Third World Academy of Science Award in Basic Medical Sciences and the Khwarizmi Award of Iran in Basic Medical Sciences in 1996.

The year 1997 saw him receiving the UNESCO Kalinga Prize for the Popularization of Science. Year 2002 he received both the Indian National Science Academy’s Indira Gandhi Prize for Science Popularization and the DST / NCSTC National Prize for Science Popularization. In 1965, Bala obtained his Ph.D. in Chemistry from Columbia University USA and was a Post Doctoral Fellow at University of Minnesota Medical School during 1965-1966.

Proud to be BITSian, D Bala obtained his M.Sc. Chemistry from erstwhile Birla College of Science in 1959. Bala made his nostalgic golden jubilee year of graduation reunion visit to BITS Pilani on September 11, 2009 in connection with the third memorial lecture in honour of Prof V Lakshminarayanan (VLN) who was the first director of BITS Pilani.

The lecture titled “My Forays into Space – Some Interesting Experiences” was delivered by the eminent space scientist and former Chairman of ISRO Dr K Kasturi Rangan who is presently Member Planning Commission Government of India.

The occasion also saw Distinguished Alumnus of BITS Pilani and Proud to be BITSian D Bala receiving the coveted Alumni award from Vice Chancellor BITS Pilani Prof L K Maheshwari and Prof R K Mittal President BITS Alumni Association. The thunderous applause in the jam packed Lecture Theatre Complex of the Institute must have measured well over 8 in the Richter scale!!

Prof D Bala can be contacted at Email dbala@lvpei.org

# # #

About BITS Pilani: The Birla Institute of Technology and Science - BITS Pilani is a Deemed to be University established vide Sec.3 of the UGC Act,1956 under notification No. F.12-23/63.U-2 of June 18, 1964. BITS Pilani for the year 2009 has been ranked among the top ranking universities along with IITs in various Magazine surveys such as India Today, Outlook, LiveMint etc. BITS offers degrees in various disciplines presently at Pilani, Dubai, Goa and Hyderabad campuses and recently the NAAC - National Assessment and Accreditation Council reaccredited BITS with 3.71 CGPA out of 4 and awarded “A” grade “Very Good” status.