Recognition provides energy for continued dedication, says Professor Thalappil Pradeep
ICCW team is proud to share that Professor Pradeep has been chosen by the Government of India for conferment of one of the highest civilian awards of the country – Padma Shri award – for his distinguished service in the field of Science and Engineering.
Thalappil Pradeep is an Institute Professor*, the Deepak Parekh Institute Chair Professor, and a Professor of Chemistry at the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IITM), Chennai, India. He is also the Secretary and Professor-Incharge at ICCW.
Pradeep and his team at IITM have worked on diverse scientific frontiers, during his career spanning over the past three decades. He started his work with meagre resources; now it is instrumental in steering disruptive technologies. The impact created from his research group has been phenomenal in water science and technologies – using nanochemistry for the first time in the world to purify water. His research team developed water-related solutions from lab to commercial products: creating knowledge, technology and wealth for social good simultaneously. His team’s work has driven the movement towards reducing the water-woes of over 9-10 million people in the country. His indigenous technologies from our institutions are a direction to budding researchers and entrepreneurs.
Pradeep is an outstanding researcher and an inspiring teacher. His work is a testimony for quality science and its translation, with basic funding and a will to contribute to the country. He is a recipient of numerous coveted recognitions of the country and abroad for contributions to science. Recently, he was awarded The World Academy of Science (TWAS) prize in Chemistry in 2018.
The President of India will confer the award to Professor Pradeep at the ceremonial function, which will be held at Rashtrapati Bhawan around March/ April. Other awardees in the Science and Engineering category include Dr. Raman Gangakhedkar, Shri Sujoy K. Guha, Shri Sudhir Jain, Shri Kattungal Subramaniam Manilal, Shri Vashishtha Narayan Singh (Posthumous), and Shri Harish Chandra Verma.
“Personally, work proceeds daily… this is a recognition for the years of dedication… (it) provides energy for continued dedication,” reflects Pradeep humbly.
With another feather to his cap, Professor Pradeep prepares for the next agenda in his schedule.
