Indian-origin Nobel laureate Professor Venki Ramakrishnan has been awarded the Order of Merit -- an exclusive mark of honour conferred by the British sovereign -- in recognition of his distinguished service to science.
Molecular biologist Ramakrishnan, 70, is among six appointments made to the order by Queen Elizabeth II before her death in September.
"His Majesty The King has been pleased to make six new appointments to the Order of Merit. Appointments to the Order are made in recognition of distinguished service to the Armed Forces, science, art, literature, or for the promotion of culture. The individuals were chosen by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth in early September," Buckingham Palace said in a statement.
"The new appointments are Sir David Adjaye OBE, RA; Professor Dame Elizabeth Anionwu, DBE, FCRN; Baroness Floella Benjamin, DBE; Professor Margaret MacMillan, CHC CC (Canada); Sir Paul Nurse, CH; and Dr Venki Ramakrishnan," the statement added.
Venkatraman 'Venki' Ramakrishnan is a Nobel Prize-winning biologist whose many scientific contributions include his work on the atomic structure of the ribosome, according to British The Royal Society.
Tamil Nadu-born Venki received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his work on ribosomal structure and was knighted in 2012.
He is a Member of the US National Academy of Sciences, Leopoldina and EMBO, and a Foreign Member of the Indian National Science Academy. He was President of the Royal Society from November 2015 until November 2020.
The Order of Merit, founded in 1902 by King Edward VII, is a special mark of honour conferred by the Sovereign on individuals of exceptional distinction in the armed forces, science, arts, literature, or for the promotion of culture.
Appointments to the Order are in the Sovereign's personal gift. The Order is restricted to 24 members.
( With inputs from ANI )
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