Indian-American professors Bhargav Bhatt and Karuna Mantena were among the six recipients of the Infosys Prize 2023, acknowledged during a ceremony in Bangalore on January 13 by the Infosys Science Foundation (ISF).
Bhatt, a joint professor at the Institute for Advanced Study and Princeton University, received the prize in mathematical sciences for his exceptional contributions to arithmetic geometry and commutative algebra. His collaboration with mathematician Peter Scholze introduced innovative concepts and powerful approaches to the field, particularly in prismatic cohomology.
Meanwhile, Mantena, a political science professor at Columbia University, was honored in social sciences for her groundbreaking research on the theory of imperial rule. Her work suggests that imperial ideology played a pivotal role in the emergence of modern social theory. Her book ‘Alibis of Empire’ and related writings are influential in political theory and various social sciences, explaining the shift in imperial policy after the 1857 rebellion in India.
The Infosys Prize, spanning various fields like humanities, life sciences, mathematics, physical sciences, engineering, computer science, and social sciences, has recognized significant contributions to scientific research in India for the past fifteen years. The ceremony’s chief guest, Prof. Brian Schmidt, Nobel laureate and former vice-chancellor at the Australian National University, presented the winners with gold medals, citations, and a prize of US $100,000 each, emphasizing the importance of advancing knowledge for peaceful and sustainable living on a finite planet.
