Pratibodh Foundation · IISc Bengaluru
An annual prize of ₹1,00,000 for excellence in academic research, awarded to PhD students in the Department of Biochemistry at the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, instituted by Latha Mani in remembrance of her father, a distinguished IISc alumnus whose life was shaped by scholarships and devoted to public health.
₹1,00,000 Prize · IISc Endowment · Annual · Since 2021
Dr T R Bhaskaran
Harvard 1944
The Award
Pratibodh Foundation, through an endowment to IISc, Bangalore, has instituted an annual award with a cash prize of ₹1,00,000 for excellence in academic research for PhD students of the Department of Biochemistry in memory of Dr. T. R. Bhaskaran, a distinguished alumnus of that same department.
Latha Mani, the founder of Pratibodh Foundation, has instituted this award in remembrance of her father. Dr. Bhaskaran's own academic journey was made possible entirely by scholarships, that has shaped the Foundation's broader commitment to capability-building and the removal of financial barriers from the path of deserving students.
The award is presented annually on September 12, the birth anniversary of Dr. Bhaskaran, starting from 2021.
Prize
₹1,00,000 cash prize + citation
Eligibility
PhD students in the Department of Biochemistry, IISc — preferably in their fifth year
Selection
External committee of experts reviewing a short research proposal and six months of work conducted under the mentorship of a supervisor
Frequency
Annual, on September 12 (Dr. Bhaskaran's birth anniversary)
Special rule
If the committee selects two equally outstanding students in a year, Pratibodh Foundation awards an additional prize of equal value for that year
Scope
Basic or applied sciences; research in either area is eligible
IISc page
IISc Endowment
Pratibodh Foundation has endowed this award through the Office of Development and Alumni Affairs at IISc, Bengaluru — ensuring an institutionally administered, independently selected annual prize with long-term continuity.
IISc appreciation letters
Appreciation letter to Pratibodh Foundation
Winners
Six researchers recognised across five years. In 2023, the committee selected two equally outstanding candidates, an exceptional year warranting a double award.
2021
Ms. Debaleena Kar - CircRNA — a potential therapy for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
2022
Mr. Mani Garg - Deciphering the potential role of RGG-peptides in the dissolution of disease-relevant condensates
2023
Ms. Neetu Rajak Joint - Expression and purification of anti-microbial protein Klebicin M in Pichia pastoris (Komagataella phaffii) and analysis of its anti-microbial properties
Ms. Sweta Tiwari Joint - Understanding the role of RNA binding proteins in cellular RNA damage response
2024
Mr. Abhinav Banerjee - Physical stability of mismatch DNA and how MutS finds mismatches in time?
2025
Ms. Priyanshi - Investigating the potential of inositol pyrophosphate messengers in regulating the stability of rice SLR1 repressor to improve crop yield
Dr. T. R. Bhaskaran obtained his MSc, AIISc, and DSc degrees in Biochemistry in 1936, 1937, and 1940 respectively from the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru. His academic career at IISc was marked by distinction: he received the Arni Gold Medal for Chemistry in 1933 — a prize previously awarded to Dr. C. V. Raman (1905) and Dr. S. Chandrasekhar (1930) — along with the Sir William Wedderburn Prize for the best MSc thesis in 1936, and the Curzon Prize for Excellence in Research in Biochemistry in 1937.
The Rockefeller Foundation awarded Dr. Bhaskaran a fellowship to study at Harvard University, USA, where he received an MS degree in Sanitary Engineering in 1946. His lifelong contribution to public health in India began immediately after graduation from IISc in 1940, when he joined as a Research Officer for the Rockefeller Foundation Project in Singur, West Bengal.
He then built an illustrious teaching and research career at the All India Institute of Hygiene and Public Health, Kolkata, in the field of Environmental Hygiene and Sanitation. His report on monitoring and control of water pollution from domestic and industrial waste became the foundational basis for the Indian Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974.
Throughout his career, Dr. Bhaskaran served on advisory committees of ICMR, CSIR, and WHO, and handled the installation of over thirty modern sewage and industrial waste treatment plants across India as Technical Director at Geo Miller and Company. He received innumerable prestigious awards for his contributions to rural water supply, ground water pollution, sewage treatment, and related areas.
Critically, Dr. Bhaskaran was able to study only because of scholarships he received throughout his education. It is this legacy — of talent enabled by opportunity — that the memorial award is designed to perpetuate.
1933
Arni Gold Medal for Chemistry at IISc — shared historical company with Dr. C. V. Raman (1905) and Dr. S. Chandrasekhar (1930)
1936
MSc in Biochemistry, IISc; Sir William Wedderburn Prize for best MSc thesis
1937
AIISc; Curzon Prize for Excellence in Research in Biochemistry
1940
DSc, IISc; joined Rockefeller Foundation Project in Singur, West Bengal
1946
MS in Sanitary Engineering, Harvard University — Rockefeller Foundation Fellowship
1974
His report on water pollution control formed the basis for India's Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act
