IIT-M professor wins Eni award for scientific research in energy & environment

CHENNAI: Professor T Pradeep from the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT-M) has won the prestigious ‘Eni Award,’ which is considered among the top global honours for scientific research in energy and environment.

The President of Italy is expected to present the Award soon.

"Professor T Pradeep has been recognized for his work on affordable clean water using advanced materials. He discovered advanced sustainable and affordable nanoscale materials for the removal of toxic contaminants from water. The discovered technologies are both sustainable and cost-effective and have been implemented as drinking water solutions benefitting 1.3 million people in India every day," the citation stated.

"Professor Pradeep is a pioneer in nanotechnology applications for clear water. His work on pesticide removal has benefitted millions of people. Later he and his team developed ‘water positive’ materials to remove arsenic, uranium and several other toxic contaminants from water and the technology has been approved for national implementation. He is expanding the reach of these technologies to other countries now," said a release from IIT-Madras.

Accepting this honour, Professor T Pradeep, Department of Chemistry, IIT Madras, said "I am grateful to the large team of students, associates and implementing partners whose intense efforts made this work possible. The country and my institution gave me everything."

"Water presents numerous opportunities in cleaning, sensing, distribution and data analytics. It is the most opportune moment nationally and globally to get into water, for science, for industry or for both. There is a career in it where one can get satisfaction, besides wealth and fame. We need more youngsters in the area to ensure water security," he added.

Eni Awards are given in three categories such as Energy Transition, Energy Frontiers and Advanced Environmental Solutions.

Yu Huang, University of California (Los Angeles, USA) and Jeffrey R. Long, University of California (Berkeley, USA) were given the award for the first category.

Matthew Rosseinsky, University of Liverpool (UK) won the award for the second category.

Professor Pradeep has been awarded for Advanced Environmental Solutions.

Previous awardees include Nobel laureates, Sir Harold W. Kroto, Alan Heeger and Theodor Wolfgang Hänsch as well as Professor CNR Rao, a Bharat Ratna awardee.

The strict award guidelines and a selection committee including Nobel laureates make Eni award a coveted honour.

Professor Pradeep has been recognized earlier with Padma Shri, Prince Sultan Bin Abdulaziz International Prize for Water and Nikkei Asia Prize, among many others.

The prize is composed of a gold medal, a citation and a cash component.