Local researcher receives award from President

BALURGHAT: In a proud moment for the residents of South Dinajpur’s Harirampur, 30-year-old Biki Ram, a promising space science researcher, received a prestigious award from President Droupadi Murmu on Saturday. The ceremony took place during the National Space Research Day event in Delhi on August 23.

Biki Ram, who is currently pursuing his PhD in astronomy at IIT Indore, was part of the four-member “Khangola” team that secured third place in a nationwide competition organised by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). The competition, which began several months before the event, saw participation from nearly 3,400 teams from across the country. Out of these, 30 teams were shortlisted and invited to present their projects at the National Remote Sensing Centre.

Biki Ram’s team, comprising two researchers from Kerala and one from Delhi, worked on a challenging ISRO project focused on neutron stars.

Expressing his elation, Biki Ram said: “Our team successfully completed the project assigned by ISRO and securing third place in the competition was a great honour. Receiving the award from the President has inspired all of us. I aim to continue my studies in space science and contribute to space research at ISRO in the future.”