Dr. Binay Saikia, the Bhatnagar Awardee – a role model for the young researchers of NER
The ‘Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar (SSB) Prize for Science and Technology’ named after the founder Director of the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR), India, Dr. (Sir) Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar for this year has recently been awarded to Dr. Binay Saikia, an Environmental Geochemist and Group Leader of the Coal and Energy Research Group, CSIR-North East Institute of Science and Technology Jorhat in the area of Earth, Atmosphere, Ocean and Planetary Sciences. The prize is awarded annually for notable and outstanding applied or fundamental research in the disciplines of Biological Sciences, Chemical Sciences, Earth, Atmosphere, Ocean and Planetary Sciences, Engineering Sciences, Mathematical Sciences, Medical Sciences and Physical Sciences. Dr. Saikia’s group of researchers has been working on value-added products from low-grade coals and biomass for the production of advanced carbon materials for energy applications, and issues related to energy and environment. It may be mentioned that after long 20 years, the award has been received this time by a scientist from Assam. He is the 5th recipient of the award among the scientists from the state.
It is indeed a great achievement not only for Dr. Saikia but also for the institute where he works. It is worth mentioning that all the other four scientists from Assam, who received the award earlier, had been either educated or working partly in their career somewhere outside the state or abroad in a reputed university or institute. However, Dr. Saikia had no such career profile but he was educated entirely within the state and has also been working in the CSIR-NEIST, Jorhat during his entire service career. He did his B.Sc. from Debraj Roy College, Golaghat, M.Sc. from erstwhile Cotton College under Gauhati University and a Ph.D. from Dibrugarh University.
This is indeed very significant, as there has been a common belief among the students, researchers and general public in the state and the region that with the limited infrastructure and opportunities available in this region, it is almost impossible to pursue high quality research and excel in any field of scientific research. While the fact is acceptable by and large, the latest achievement of Dr. Binay Saikia has proved that even with limited infrastructure and opportunities, one can achieve such a feat with persistent hard work and dedicated research efforts however strenuous its course may be. Dr. Saikia has certainly set an example before the young researchers and students of the state and the region, and his achievements are indeed an eye-opener for all of us.
We may certainly hope that this would inspire and motivate the youngsters to pursue arduous course of dedicated research in their own fields so that they can also excel in their career and bring laurels to this region in future.
