Some rewards are earned, and the Nobel Prize is one of them. It is one of the most prestigious awards bestowed on individuals for their remarkable discoveries and their beliefs to change the world. And India has 9 such eminent personalities who made the nation swell with pride for their outstanding contribution in the field of academics, culture and science advances. If you thought Bollywood, cricket, and curry are all that we could give to the world, then you clearly haven’t heard about these individuals who were globally-recognized for their works and felicitated with the exalted status.
So, what is this award all about and why is it so renowned? The Nobel Prize is one of the most esteemed awards in the world and is presented by Swedish and Norwegian institutions to individuals who have excelled in their respective fields of work. There’s no competition, it’s a reward to celebrate the achievements of those who have selflessly contributed to pursuing their beliefs, missions, and dreams which may lead to a discovery, invention or change.
So far, India has namely 9 Nobel Laureates! Scroll on to know more about them.
9 Indians who have been awarded the famed Nobel Prize:
1. Rabindranath Tagore
In 1913, Rabindranath Tagore was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature. He was the first Indian to be felicitated for his exceptional contribution in the field of poetry, and literature. Despite all his works being in Bengali, the Swedish described how his writing transcended languages and was deeply rooted in both the Indian and Western learning traditions.
2. CV Raman
The Indian physicist, CV Raman was known for making groundbreaking discoveries in the field of light scattering, which later came to be known as the Raman Effect. Being the first Asian ever to receive the recognition, he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1930.
3. Har Gobind Khorana
Indian-American biochemist, Har Gobind Khorana was awarded the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine in 1968. He shared the award with Marshall W. Nirenberg and Robert W. Holley for their research related to nucleic acids, genetic code and cell’s synthesis of proteins.
4. Mother Teresa
She loved the homeless, she cared for the sick, she was and will always be the symbol of peace worldwide. Mother Teresa was globally-recognized for her philanthropic nature and her love for the homeless and hurt. She was conferred with the Nobel Peace Prize for her humanitarian work for the poor in 1979.
5. Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar
Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar is a well-known name in the field of astrophysics. An American-Indian astrophysicist who won the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1983 for his theoretical studies of the physical processes of importance to the structure and evolution of the stars. He shared the award with a fellow astrophysicist, William A. Fowler.
6. Amartya Sen
Conferred with several awards for his outstanding contribution in the field of economics, Amartya Sen is currently a professor at Harvard University. For his involvement and excellency in the various branches of economics earned him the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences in 1998.
7. Venkatraman Ramakrishnan
In 2009, Indian-British-American structural biologist, Venkatraman Ramakrishnan along with Thomas A. Steitz and Ada Yonath was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for studies of the structure and function of the ribosome. Currently, he’s the elected President of the Royal Society of London.
8. Kailash Satyarthi
The man who fought against child labor, liberated over 88,000 children and has been a staunch advocate of the universal right to education for children in India and outside, was recognized for his movement in 2014 with a Nobel Peace Prize. Founder of several organizations including Bachpan Bachao Andolan, he continues to fight against the suppression of children and their right for education.
9. Abhijit Banerjee
After Amartya Sen, the next Indian-American economist to gain recognition for his works was Abhijit Banerjee, who along with Esther Duflo and Michael Kremer was awarded the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences in 2019, for their experimental approach to alleviating global poverty.
Those are the nine Nobel Laureates that we can’t help but be proud of. The ultimate symbols of glory for the nation, it’s just strange that we end up giving actors precedence over these intellects and social reformers. Out and about to change the world with their outstanding contributions, they are one to be followed and looked upon today. So, tell us how many have you heard of from the list above? Or do you have feedback regarding this article? Write to us in the comments below.
