Why is it in the news?

• Recently, the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has announced the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar (SSB) awards for 2022, with a nearly one-year delay in the announcement.
• These awards are considered prestigious in the field of science in India.
• Normally announced on CSIR’s Foundation Day (September 26), the awards were not announced last year, but they were retained after a review of national awards by the Ministry of Home Affairs.

More about the news

• The 2022 SSB awardees include 12 scientists below the age of 45, spanning various scientific disciplines.
• Some of the Awardees and their respective fields include:
  • Biological Sciences: Dr. Ashwani Kumar (CSIR-Institute of Microbial Technology) and Dr. Maddika Subba Reddy (Centre for DNA Fingerprinting Diagnostics, Hyderabad).
  • Chemical Sciences: Dr. Akkattu T Biju (Indian Institute of Science) and Dr. Debabrata Maiti (Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay).