Times News NetworkKanpur:Prof Sankar Prasad Rath from the Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur (IIT Kanpur), was conferred the National Award to Teachers 2026 for excellence in teaching, research, and institutional service. He was among 21 teachers conferred the prestigious award by the President of India, Droupadi Murmu, at a ceremony held at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi, on September 5.Prof Rath has been associated with IIT Kanpur since 2004 and has been serving as a full professor in the Department of Chemistry since 2014. His research explores how tiny iron-containing centres inside proteins enable living organisms to use oxygen, produce energy, and carry out the chemical reactions that are essential for survival. He has authored more than 165 research articles in high-impact, peer-reviewed international journals and has served as a supervisor for 27 PhD students, 40 master’s students, and 25 post-doctoral researchers. At IIT Kanpur, he has designed the undergraduate elective “Inorganic Molecules, Materials & Medicine,” which connects the fundamental chemistry behind our day-to-day activities and life processes. He has also taught IIT Preparatory Courses aimed at strengthening the academic foundations of students from disadvantaged backgrounds.Rath’s contributions have earned him numerous prestigious honours, including the Alexander von Humboldt Research Fellowship for Experienced Researchers (Germany), the JSPS Invitational Fellowship (Japan), the Chemical Research Society of India (CRSI) Bronze and Silver Medals, the C. N. R. Rao National Prize in Chemical Sciences (CRSI), and the SERB Science and Technology Award for Research (SERB-STAR). He has held several Chair Professorships at IIT Kanpur, has been elected as a Fellow of the Indian National Science Academy (FNA), the Indian Academy of Sciences (FASc), the National Academy of Sciences, India (FNASc), and currently holds the J. C. Bose National Fellowship awarded by the Department of Science and Technology (DST).
