Monday, February 3, 2014

Dr K K Aggarwal to Receive DST National Award for Outstanding Efforts in Science & Technology Communication in General


Dr K K Aggarwal President Heart care Foundation of India will be awarded National Award for Outstanding Efforts in Science & Technology Communication in general for the year 2013. The award consists of Rs. 2 lakhs, a memento and a citation. The award will be presented on Feb 28 at DST Auditorium as part of National Science Day Celebrations.

Dr Aggarwal is also recipient of two other National Awards Padma Shri and Dr B C Roy National Award and will be the first Doctor in the country to have received these three National Awards.

The award is given by the National Council for Science & Technology Communication, an Apex Body of the Government of India under the Department of Science & Technology. The council instituted national awards to stimulate, encourage and recognize outstanding efforts in the area of science popularization and communication in 1987.

The award is presented to an individual or an institution for outstanding work in communication of science and technology and or promoting of scientific temper which had the widest impact in the country during the past five years.

Dr Aggarwal also Senior Consultant Physician and Cardiologist has immensely contributed  to the Society in Science and Technology Communication as a Clinician, Writer, Anchor, Trainer, Conceptualizer, Advisor, Researcher and Scientific Health Communicator.

Many of his low-cost science awareness modules have been recognized by the Government of India by releasing postal commemorative stamps (Run for the Heart 1991 Rs 1 Postal Stamp, Perfect Health Mela 1993 Rs 6.50 Postal Stamp and First Mega Telemedicine Camp 2012 Cancellation Stamp).

He was the Delhi Coordinator for Year of Scientific Awareness in 2004 and successfully launched and used folk artists as Sutradhars for creating scientific awareness on adolescence health and nutrition.

He has developed over 1000 preventive one liner scientific health messages for general public and provided scientific training to over 63400 people on Hands-only CPR for revival after sudden death.

His efforts in Scientific Health Awareness have also won him many prestigious National and International Awards like CMAAO IMA Oration, DMA Swasthya Ratna, Delhi Medical Association Sunder Lal Roopwati  Memorial Award , Dr Mungelar National IMA Award etc.

Dr Aggarwal is frequently quoted by electronic and print media with over 15,000 quotes. He has anchored many TV shows like over 26 episodes of “Take Care” for DD India and the currently on air "Health Wealth" on Zee Media.

Awardee List

1. National Award for Outstanding Efforts in Science & Technology Communication in general (Category-A):  Individual Dr K K Aggarwal, Institution: Society of Pollution & Environment Conservation Scientists.

2. National Award for Outstanding Efforts in Science & Technology Communication through Print Media including Books and Magazines (Category-B): Dr. Oum Prakash Sharma Dy  Director, IGNOU; Shri Hemant Achyut Lagvankar; Shri Bhabesh Mahanta and  Dr. N. Rajagopalan.

3.  National Award for Outstanding Efforts in Science & Technology Popularization among Children (Category-C): Shri Jaswinder Singh and Dr. Kailash Chandra Goswami. 


ECG can be a marker for future sudden cardiac death

All school children enrolling for competitive games should have their ECG done.

Padma Shri & Dr. B C Roy National Awardee, Dr. K K Aggarwal, President Heart Care Foundation of India, said that routine ECG, if read correctly, can be used as a marker for sudden cardiac death, especially in children.

Dr. Aggarwal who is also Senior vice President, Indian Medical Association, said that all children being recruited for competitive sports should have their resting ECG done. ECG consists of wave which need to be interpreted by the doctors.

The Width of the wave called QRS duration is something which can be picked up even by inexperienced doctors and  nurses. A QRS width duration of more than 120 micro seconds in adults and 100 micro seconds in children 4-16 years and more than 90 micro seconds in children less than 4 years of age should warrant a specialized opinion.

Any heart rate of less than 60 or more than 100 per minute should also warrant, a further evaluation, especially if it is associated with wide QRS duration, as mentioned above. The heart rhythm should be regular and any irregularity should be evaluated.


Missing beats is a common occurrence but if a person misses his beat on exercise, it may be a sign of underlying heart blockages. In children, one should also look for QT prolongation in the ECG and if it is prolonged, it is a matter of concern.