The PP Sohrab Godrej Award for Science and Technology was presented to Dr. G. Madhavan Nair, former Chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and Secretary of the Department of Space of the Government of India, by Hon. Rotarian Mr. Adi Godrej at the last meeting of the Club.

Members present at the meeting applauded the simple, unassuming Dr. Nair, the man behind the hugely successful Chandrayaan-1, India’s first mission to the moon, and often referred to as the “Moon Man”.

Rotary Awards Committee Chairman Nelum Gidwani, who introduced Dr. Nair, said that he was the Chairman of ISRO till late last year and had earned for India a proud place among the space-faring nations of the world.

As Project Director he had led the development of the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), which had become the workhorse for launching India’s remote-sensing satellites. As Director of the Liquid Propulsion System Centre, he had played a key role in the design and development of the crucial cryogenic engine of GSLV.

During his tenure as Chairman of ISRO, 27 successful missions in space were accomplished. He was also responsible for the major applications programmes such as tele-education and telemedicine to serve the needs of society at large.

Nelum pointed out that Dr. Nair had been conferred 16 doctorates by various universities in India. He was decorated with the Padma Bhushan in 1998, the Prime Minister’s Gold Medal at the 94th Indian Science Congress in 2007 and the Padma Vibhushan in 2009.

Since his retirement from ISRO, Dr. Nair had been elected President of the International Academy of Astronautics (IAA). He was the first Indian and the only non-American to be elected to this post. His tenure would last till 2011.

Mr. Adi Godrej, Honorary member of the Club, then presented a silver salver and the citation to Dr. Madhavan Nair amidst prolonged applause.