Prof. C.N.R. Rao Oration Award (Instituted in the year 2000)
Chintamani Nagesa Ramachandra Rao FRS, also known as C. N. R. Rao (born 30 June 1934), is an Indian chemist who has worked mainly in solid-state and structural chemistry. He has honorary doctorates from 60 universities from around the world, and has authored around 1,600 research publications and 51 books. After completing BSc from Mysore University at age seventeen,MSc (from BHU) at age nineteen, Prof. Rao obtained PhD from Purdue University at age twenty-four. He was the youngest lecturer when he joined the Indian Institute of Science in 1959. After a transfer to Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, he returned to IISc, eventually becoming its Director from 1984 to 1994. He was Chair of the Scientific Advisory Council to the Prime Minister of India during 1985 to 1989 and 2005 to 2014. He is the founder President of Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research and presently Director, International Centre for Materials Science (ICMS) located in JNCASR.