Who has been granted International Eni Award 2020?
- (1)Amit Shah
- (2)C.N.R. Rao
- (3)Ramesh Gandhi
- (4)Satyanarayana Reddy
Answer
Why
Correct — option (2), C.N.R. Rao.
India's Department of Science and Technology (DST) announced in 2021, ahead of the award ceremony, that Bharat Ratna Professor C.N.R. Rao "has received the International Eni Award 2020 for research into renewable energy sources and energy storage, also called the Energy Frontier award."
DST linked the award to his work on hydrogen energy: hydrogen storage, photochemical and electrochemical production of hydrogen, and materials such as graphene and molybdenum sulphide (MoS2).
Eni, the Italian energy company that gives the award, presented the 2020 prizes on 14 October 2021 at the Palazzo del Quirinale in Rome, in the presence of Italian President Sergio Mattarella. Its press release names Rao, of the International Centre for Materials Science, Bangalore, for the Energy Frontiers award.
The idea to remember: Eni Award 2020, Energy Frontiers category (renewable energy and energy storage): C.N.R. Rao of India.
Why the others are wrong
- (1)Amit Shah — Amit Shah is a politician, Union Minister of Home Affairs in 2021, not a researcher. The Eni Award is given for scientific research in energy and the environment.
Neither DST's announcement nor Eni's press release of 14 October 2021 names him; the Energy Frontiers winner was C.N.R. Rao.
- (3)Ramesh Gandhi — Eni's press release of 14 October 2021 lists the 2020 winners, and Ramesh Gandhi is not among them.
The Energy Frontiers award went to C.N.R. Rao, the Energy Transition prize to David T. Allen of the University of Texas at Austin, and the Advanced Environmental Solutions award to Jürgen Caro and Jörg Kärger.
- (4)Satyanarayana Reddy — Satyanarayana Reddy is not named as a winner in DST's announcement or in Eni's press release of 14 October 2021.
The Indian recipient of the Eni Award 2020 was C.N.R. Rao, in the Energy Frontiers category, for research on materials for green hydrogen production and energy storage.
Concept
The Eni Award is an international prize given by Eni, the Italian energy company, for research in energy and the environment. Eni's own page says the first edition of the award was in 2008.
In 2021, Eni's award page described the Energy Frontiers Award as recognising "technological innovation in the fields of renewable energy sources and energy storage, as part of decarbonization of the energy system and access to energy in developing countries."
The same page listed three categories for the 2020 competition, Energy Transition, Energy Frontiers and Advanced Environmental Solutions, plus other awards, including awards for young researchers.
RPSC's 2021 syllabus lists "Persons, Places and Institutions in News." under Current Affairs.
Rao's award connects to green hydrogen. Eni cites his research on solar photochemistry and thermal water splitting, using boro-carbo-nitrides (BCN), molybdenum sulphide (MoS2) and other materials, to produce green hydrogen.
He is a Bharat Ratna recipient. The Government of India announced the award on 16 November 2013, and he received it from President Pranab Mukherjee on 4 February 2014.
Key facts
- C.N.R. Rao received the Eni Award 2020 in the Energy Frontiers category, for research into renewable energy sources and energy storage.
- 14 October 2021: Eni presented the 2020 awards at the Palazzo del Quirinale, Rome, in the presence of President Sergio Mattarella.
- Eni's press release describes Rao as being of the International Centre for Materials Science, Bangalore.
- Other 2020 winners: David T. Allen (Energy Transition) and Jürgen Caro with Jörg Kärger (Advanced Environmental Solutions).
- DST's announcement cites Rao's work on hydrogen storage and on producing hydrogen with photochemical and electrochemical methods.
Source: Eni press release, Rome, 14 October 2021.
Study next
Common traps
- The award's name versus its category: the prize is the Eni Award 2020, and Rao's category within it is Energy Frontiers.
- The year in the name versus the ceremony year: DST reported Rao's Eni Award 2020 in 2021, and Eni presented it on 14 October 2021.
- Place of the ceremony: Eni is an Italian energy company, and the 2020 awards were presented in Rome, not in India.
A question can name an international award and its year and ask which Indian received it.
A question can also name the recipient and ask the field of research recognised, or ask which country the awarding company belongs to.
Related PYQs
Which institution in India has been selected for Gandhi Peace Award 2021 ?
- (1) Geeta press, Gorakhpur
- (2) Sulabh International
- (3) Vivekanand Kendra, Kanyakumari
- (4) Ram Krishna Mission
Answer(1)
Both ask who received a named award for a given year. That question asks which Indian institution was selected for the Gandhi Peace Award 2021 (RPSC's key: Geeta press, Gorakhpur); this one asks which person received the International Eni Award 2020.
Practice
- practice — not a real PYQ
The Eni Award 2020 in the 'Energy Frontiers' category, received by C.N.R. Rao, recognises research in which field?
- (a)Renewable energy sources and energy storage
- (b)Measuring and reducing methane emissions in the natural gas value chain
- (c)Remediation of industrial sites and protection of air, water and land
- (d)Nuclear fission reactor safety
Answer(1) — In 2021, Eni's award page described the Energy Frontiers award as being for research into renewable energy sources and energy storage. Option (2) is David T. Allen's Energy Transition research, and option (3) describes the Advanced Environmental Solutions award. Option (4) is not a 2020 Eni Award category. - practice — not a real PYQ
The Eni Award 2020 ceremony was held on 14 October 2021 at the Palazzo del Quirinale in the presence of the President of which country?
- (a)France
- (b)Italy
- (c)Spain
- (d)Switzerland
Answer(2) — Eni's press release says the ceremony took place in Rome at the Palazzo del Quirinale, in the presence of the President of the Italian Republic, Sergio Mattarella. Options (1), (3) and (4) are not where the ceremony was held.