The Gujar Mal Modi Science Foundation has announced the name of Professor Mustansir Barma as the recipient of the prestigious ‘Gujar Mal Modi Award for Innovative Science & Technology’ for the year 2015.  Professor Mustansir Barma is a Distinguished Professor and Former Director, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR). Professor Barma is highly acclaimed for his path breaking work in TIFR particularly in the areas of Statistical Physics.

Professor Barma, 65, has contributed to the research and training in new areas of Science with the establishment of a new campus of TIFR in Hyderabad.

Prof Mustansir Barma plays an indispensable role in guiding several Ph.D. students and postdoctoral associates at TIFR.  He has delivered lectures on several national and international platforms and helped to organize, several schools and conferences in the subject. For his exceptional work in Statistical Physics, he has been elected to the Fellowship of the Indian National Science Academy, the Indian Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Sciences, India and the Academy of Sciences of the Developing World (TWAS).

He was awarded the INSA Young Scientist Medal, the Bhatnagar Prize, the R. S. Goyal Prize, and the S.N. Bose Birth Centenary Award of the Indian Science Congress. Currently he holds the J. C. Bose Fellowship. He served on the Science Advisory Council to the Cabinet and the Science Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (SAC-PM). Prof. Barma was conferred the Padma Shri in 2013.

Announcing the details for this year’s award, Mr Satish Kumar Modi, President of Gujar Mal Modi Science Foundation said, “Prof. Mustansir Barma, Padma Shri, has achieved remarkable position in the field of Science and Technology. His research on cooperative effects in complex systems has had a strong impact in the field of Statistical Physics, in particular, in the areas of phase transitions and systems far from equilibrium. We are honoured to include him in our list of awardees that have made outstanding contributions for the society.”

Prof. Mustansir Barma joins the impressive list of previous awardees, which includes names like Prof. Satish Dhawan, Late Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam and Prof. U.R. Rao.

Shri M. Hamid Ansari, Hon’ble Vice President of India will present the award to Prof. Barma on 14th August 2015 at a ceremony in New Delhi.