Ambani, Tata, Birla chairpersons among new INSA fellows

In another year of awarding fellowships to non-scientists in an attempt to diversify the list, the Indian National Science Academy (INSA) has elected businessmen and industrialists including chairpersons and directors of Reliance Industries, Aditya Birla Group, Forbes, Tata Group, drawing criticism from the scientific community.

Breaking the traditions, INSA introduced two new categories – science for society and science for translation – two years ago, with a move to recognise the contributions of non-scientists to society and economy through science and technology. Of total 100 fellows, 20 fellows each will be selected from the two categories.

While Reliance chairman and managing director Mukesh Ambani, Birla Group chairman Kumar Mangalam Birla, and Forbes co-chairman Naushad Forbes feature in the first list, Tata chairman Natarajan Chandrasekaran, Godrej MD Nadir Burjorji Godrej, and Microsoft CTO Rohit Srivathsa emerged in the second list of Indian fellows.

Also read DST scheme an ‘eyewash’; fellowships delayed months, project approval takes years, allege women scientists

Last year, Infosys founder couple N R Narayanmurthy and Sudha Murthy were among the industrialists selected under the new categories. “While the majority of our fellows are those associated with the creation of science, we must have at least 20% of them associated with the consumption and the use of science to create opportunities, “ INSA president told The Hindu.

Eligibility for INSA fellowship

As per rules, except the two new categories, scientist fellows nominate their peers from research institutions and universities and fellows are selected based on papers published in scientific journals, besides their role in the field of science.

Taking a jibe at the selection committee, an earth scientist noted how there were problems with his nomination but Ambani has been elected. “Not joking! Ambani was elected as a Fellow of Indian National Science Academy. Do you expect the members to protest this? There used to be shrieks and protests from a section of fellows in these academies whenever my or Kusala's name was proposed. But Ambani passes all the tests,” he said in a post on X.