Indian-American professors Bhargav Bhatt and Karuna Mantena were among the 6 winners of the Infosys Prize 2023. They were felicitated during a ceremony in Bangalore on January 13 by the Infosys Science Foundation (ISF).
A joint professor at the Institute for Advanced Study and Princeton University, Bhatt won the prize in mathematical sciences for his excellent and essential contributions to arithmetic geometry and commutative algebra.
His German collaboration with mathematician Peter Scholze in prismatic cohomology brought fresh concepts and powerful approaches to the field.
Mantena, on the other hand, won in social sciences for her groundbreaking research on the theory of imperial rule and the claim that imperial ideology was a key factor in the emergence of modern social theory.
A professor of political science at Columbia University, Mantena’s book ‘Alibis of Empire’ and related writings are seminal works in political theory and have significance for all social sciences. The book explains that the dramatic shift in imperial policy that followed the 1857 rebellion in India was legitimized by a new ideology of indirect imperial rule, which was carefully crafted by the ingenious conceptual work of thinker-administrators like Henry Maine.
The Infosys Prize has honored academics for their influential work across fields and noteworthy contributions to scientific research in India over the last fifteen years. Key fields include humanities, life sciences, mathematics, physical sciences, engineering and computer science, and social sciences.
Prof. Brian Schmidt, former vice-chancellor, astronomy expert, and Nobel laureate at the Australian National University, served as the chief guest at the ceremony. He presented the winners with a gold medal, citation, and US $100,000 prize money.
“The world needs such knowledge to help us live peacefully and sustainably on a planet that isn’t getting any bigger, even though humanity’s footprint is. India’s contribution to the world of knowledge is growing quickly, and I am honored to be part of a celebration of some of the most significant advances that we are honoring in this year’s ceremony,” Schmidt said, addressing the ceremony.
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