Awards / Honors 08 October 2026
IISc Bengaluru's Prof. Mahesh Kakde Wins 2026 Ramanujan Prize for Young Mathematicians
Why in the News?
Professor **Mahesh Kakde** from the Department of Mathematics at the Indian Institute of Science (**IISc**), Bengaluru, has been awarded the **2026 Ramanujan Prize for Young Mathematicians from Developing Countries**, making him the fifth Indian mathematician to receive this prestigious international honor.
Key Features / Major Points:
- Award Announcement: Officially announced on **September 30, 2026**.
- Administering Bodies: Awarded jointly by the Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics (**ICTP**), the International Mathematical Union (**IMU**), and the Department of Science and Technology (**DST**, Government of India).
- Prize Cash Amount: **US$ 10,000**.
- Primary Field of Research: **Algebraic Number Theory**.
- Key Contributions:
- Recognized for breakthrough results in **Non-commutative Iwasawa Theory**.
- Outstanding work on the **Gross-Stark Conjecture** and **Brumer-Stark Conjecture**, both of which hold direct implications for **Hilbert’s 12th Problem** (one of David Hilbert’s 23 iconic unsolved problems presented in 1900).
- Academic Background:
- Alumnus of the Indian Statistical Institute (ISI); earned his PhD in pure mathematics from the University of Cambridge in 2008.
- Held positions at Princeton University, University College London (UCL), and King's College London before joining IISc in 2019.
- Previously awarded the Infosys Prize in Mathematical Sciences in 2022.
Static GK Facts:
- Ramanujan Prize for Young Mathematicians:
- Instituted: **2005**.
- Eligibility Criteria: Awarded annually to a researcher under **45 years of age** from a developing country.
- Named After: Famed Indian mathematician **Srinivasa Ramanujan** (Born: December 22, 1887).
- National Mathematics Day: Celebrated in India every year on **December 22**.
- ICTP (Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics):
- Founded: **1964** (by Nobel Laureate Abdus Salam) | Headquarters: **Trieste, Italy**.
- International Mathematical Union (IMU):
- Founded: **1920** | Secretariat: **Berlin, Germany**.
One-Liner Quiz (All Competitive Exams):
Q: Professor Mahesh Kakde, who won the 2026 Ramanujan Prize for Young Mathematicians, belongs to which premier Indian institute?
A: Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru
Q: What is the main research area of Prof. Mahesh Kakde for which he received the Ramanujan Prize 2026?
A: Algebraic Number Theory (and Non-commutative Iwasawa Theory)
Q: What is the maximum age limit for a mathematician to be eligible for the Ramanujan Prize?
A: Under 45 years of age
Q: Where is the global headquarters of the Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP) located?
A: Trieste, Italy
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