Prof CNR Rao becomes first Indian scientist elected to Chinese Academy of Science

Eminent Scientist and Bharat Ratna awardee Prof CNR Rao has become the first Indian scientist to be elected as honorary foreign member of Chinese Academy of Science (CAS).
CAS consists of several Nobel laureates and eminent scientists of the world. Prof. Rao was recently awarded the Bharat Ratna. In 2012, CAS had conferred on him the prestigious Award for International Scientific Cooperation.

About C.N.R. Rao (Chintamani Nagesa Ramachandra Rao)

• An Indian scientist
• One of the world’s foremost chemists in the field of Solid State, Structural and Materials Chemistry.
• His work on transition metal oxides led to basic understanding of novel phenomena and the relationship between materials properties and the structural chemistry of metal oxides.
• Currently, he heads the Scientific Advisory Council to the Prime Minister of India.
• Authored around 1500 research papers.
• Authored and edited 45 books.
• First Indian scientist to reach the h-index of 100.
• One of the earliest to synthesize two-dimensional oxide materials such as La2CuO4.
• His findings have resulted into a systematic study of compositionally controlled metal-insulator transitions. Such findings have immensely helped in fields such as colossal magneto resistance and high temperature superconductivity. His oxide semiconductors have uncommon promise.
• Made significant contributions to nano materials, apart from his work on hybrid materials.
• Elected to almost all scientific academies of the world including The Royal Society -London, National Academy of Science – USA, Pontifical Academy of Science, Japan Academy and Royal Spanish Academy of Sciences, among others.
• Conferred 60 Honoris Causa (Honorary Doctorates) by various universities across the globe.

What is h-index (also called the Hirsch index or Hirsch number)?

• h-index (also called the Hirsch index or Hirsch number) is a tool that measures the productivity and impact of the published work of a scientist or scholar.
• Based on the set of the scientist’s most cited papers and the number of citations that the individual has received in other publications.
• Physicist Jorge Hirsch was the first one to coin it in 2005.
• George Whitesides of Harvard University has an h-index of 169, which makes him the highest ranked living chemist.

Month: Current Affairs - November, 2013

Category: Science & Technology Current Affairs