October 16, 2024
Bantwal Jayant Baliga, a professor of Indian origin, has been honoured with the 2024 Millennium Technology Prize for his contributions towards decreasing carbon emissions through the invention of the insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT). The IGBT is an important part of electric vehicles and appliances such as refrigerators and air conditioners and has cut the consumption of petrol and electrical energy, tremendously decreasing carbon emissions since its introduction. Baliga, who was born in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, completed his Bachelor of Technology in electrical engineering from IIT Madras and shifted to the USA to pursue higher education. He is currently associated with North Carolina State University, USA, as a professor and also holds 120 US patents. The Millennium Technology Prize recognises innovations that contribute to the betterment of humanity and is awarded by the Technology Academy Finland. The award ceremony will be held on October 30, 2024 in Finland.
Image Source: millenniumprize.org
REFLECTION: Fuelling a Better World
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