India Times: Soil Scientist, World Food Award Winner Dr Rattan Lal To Get Padma Shri Award
Dr. Rattan Lal was announced as a recipient of the 2021 Padma Shri Award in Science and Engineering on the 72nd Republic Day from the Government of India. The Padma Awards, instituted in 1954, recognize citizens of India for distinguished contributions in their sphere of activity, from arts to education, industry to literature, sports to science, and more. In Sanskrit, the word “Padma” means “lotus,” and “Shri” is an honorific, equivalent to “Mr.” or “Mrs.” It is an honor that can be considered similar to the Presidential Citizens Medal, the second-highest civilian award in the United States. The other awards given by the Government include the Bharat Ratna, Padma Vibhushan, and Padma Bhushan, which might be considered similar to the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Dr. Lal is honored to be one of the few Overseas Citizens of India to be considered and bestowed this award.