InStem's acting Director, Dr K VijayRaghavan was awarded the Padma Shri on Saturday, January 26th, 2013. The Padma Shri follows a long list of laurels for Dr VijayRaghavan including election as Fellow of the Royal Society, London last year  (details). 

Dr VijayRaghavan is currently director of the country's premier scientific instittute, the National Centre for Biological Sciences. The award is in recognition of his services to developing the growth of and promoting excellence in biological sciences in India. Dr VijayRaghavan's work has made NCBS and inStem exemplary institutions with a strong focus on world-class collaborative research.

Official list of the Padma awardees from the Government of India websites:

http://www.mha.nic.in/pdfs/Padma(E)2013.pdf

The Hindu:http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/bangalore/city-stands-tall-with-six-of-seven-padma-awards-for-state/article4345336.ece

Deccan Herald:http://www.deccanherald.com/content/307679/padma-roddam-dravid.html

http://ncbs.res.in/