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Vatican City (AsiaNews) – An Indian was today appointed as ordinary member of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences. He is Prof. Krishnaswamy Kasturirangan, a lecturer in physics at the Physical Research Laboratory of Ahmedabad in India.

According to the Vatican press office, Krishnaswamy Kasturirangan was born in

Ernakulam – Kerala – in 1940; he graduated in sciences at the University of Bombay and went on to obtain a doctorate in experimental high energy astronomy at the Physical Research Laboratory of Ahmedabad.

Today he is director of the National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS) in Bangalore, honorary physics professor at the Physical Research Laboratory of Ahmedabad and member of the Upper House of the Indian Parliament. For nine years, he led India’s space programme and contributed to the development and launching of satellites for civil use, telecommunications and ocean observation.

Kasturirangan has published more than 200 treatises in the fields of astronomy, space sciences and relative applications. He is a member of the International Academy of Astronautics and an associate member of the Indian National Academy of Engineering, where he is currently the chairman.

Among the many awards he has received are the Padma Vibhushan, India’s most prestigious civilian honour and the "Legion d’honneur" of France.