Annapurni Subramaniam Wins COSPAR Vikram Sarabhai Medal 2026

Key facts

• Annapurni Subramaniam, director of Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA), Bengaluru, was awarded the COSPAR Vikram Sarabhai Medal 2026.
• The medal is awarded jointly by the Committee on Space Research (COSPAR) and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) to scientists from developing countries.
• She is the fourth Indian, the first Indian woman scientist, and the third female recipient of this medal.
• The medal was presented during the 46th COSPAR Scientific Assembly held in Florence, Italy.
• She specializes in stellar physics and studies star clusters and nearby galaxies.
• She served as calibration scientist for the Ultra-violet Imaging Telescope (UVIT) onboard AstroSat, India's first space-based telescope launched in 2015.
• She is involved in the Thirty Metre Telescope (TMT) project, in which India is a participating member.