Vikram Sarabhai Medal for Annapurni Subramaniam, Pg7

Key Highlights:

• Astrophysicist Annapurni Subramaniam received the COSPAR Vikram Sarabhai Medal-2026 at the 46th COSPAR Scientific Assembly in Florence, Italy.
• She is the first Indian woman scientist and the fourth Indian overall to be conferred with this international award.
• Subramaniam is the Director of the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA), Bengaluru, specializing in stellar physics.
• The medal is jointly awarded by the Committee on Space Research (COSPAR) and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).

Detailed Insights:

• The COSPAR Vikram Sarabhai Medal recognizes outstanding contributions to space research in developing countries, honoring Vikram Sarabhai, the father of India's space program.
• COSPAR is an interdisciplinary scientific body affiliated with the International Science Council and the United Nations, promoting international space research.
• Subramaniam also holds an additional charge as Director of the Centre for Nano and Soft Matter Sciences (CENS).
• In 2024, she was awarded the Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar-Vigyan Shri in the Space Science and Technology category, which recognizes distinguished contributions in science and technology.
• Her significant contributions include serving as the calibration scientist for the Ultra-violet Imaging Telescope (UVIT) onboard AstroSat, India's first space-based telescope launched in 2015.
• She is actively involved in the Thirty Metre Telescope (TMT) project, an international consortium where India is a participating member.
• Previous Indian recipients of the medal include Anil Bharadwaj (2024), Gurbax Singh Lakhina (2014), and U R Rao (1996).

Scientific/Technical Concepts Involved:

• COSPAR: An international scientific organization dedicated to promoting space research and fostering global collaboration.
• ISRO: India's national space agency, responsible for the country's space program and related research and development.
• AstroSat: India's first dedicated multi-wavelength space observatory, designed to study celestial sources across various spectral bands.
• Thirty Metre Telescope (TMT): A cutting-edge ground-based optical and infrared telescope, developed through an international collaboration to explore the universe with high sensitivity.