Noble laureate Serge Haroche bats for 2 degrees cap on global warming

Nobel laureate Prof Serge Haroche has stressed the need for India, China, US and the European countries to make efforts so as to achieve the target of restricting the global temperature rise to 2 degrees Celsius, as agreed during the Paris climate summit.

Haroche was speaking to reporters before delivering the G P Birla lecture at the B M Birla Science Centre in Hyderabad. If these countries did not put in enough efforts, the 2 degrees cap on global warming can not be achieved and its consequences can prove alarming, he said.

In his lecture, the physicist underscored the need for greater fundamental research in science and enough funding for the same. Safe energy was necessary and nuclear energy can provide safe power if precautions are taken, he said.

Governor ESL Narasimhan and Prof Haroche also gave away the awards in science and mathematics on this occasion. The B M Birla Science Prize in Mathematics for the year 2013 was presented to Dr Ritabrata Munshi of Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai.

The B M Birla Science Prize in Chemistry for 2013 was jointly shared by Dr Melepurath Deepa from the Indian Institute of Technology, Hyderabad, and Dr Suhrit Ghosh of the Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science, Kolkata.

The B M Birla Science Prize in Physics for 2014 was jointly awarded to Dr Moumita Maiti of Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee and Dr Shankarnarayanan of the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Trivandrum.

The B M Birla Science Prize in Biology for 2014 was jointly awarded to Dr Indumathi Mariappal of L V Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad and Dr Jayandharan Giridhara Rao of Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur.