Dr Govindasamy Mugesh, Associate Professor, Department of Inorganic & Physical Chemistry, Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru has bagged the 2012 Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar award for his contributions in scientific research.  

The winners were announced by Samir K Brahmachari, Director General of Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) at a function here to mark the 70th foundation day of the Council. The award is named after the founder Director of CSIR, the late Dr (Sir) Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar and is known as the ‘Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar (SSB) Prize for Science and Technology'.   The Prize is given each year for outstanding contributions to science and technology.  It is given annually to young scientists below the age of 45 who have made outstanding contributions in any field of science and technology.

Dr Mugesh was selected for the award for his work on the chemistry of the thyroid hormone synthesis and metabolism. He will receive a cash award of Rs. 5 lakh besides Rs. 15,000 every month till superannuation.  The award will be presented to Dr Mugesh later this year by Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh.

Early this year, Dr Mugesh had bagged the AstraZeneca Excellence in Chemistry award given away to Young Scientists for his contributions in organic chemistry and was later elected as the Fellow of the Indian Academy of Sciences.