VOI World/ Desk
Indian-origin physicist Jainendra K Jain has been awarded the Wolf Prize in Physics, becoming the first person of Indian origin to receive one of the world’s most prestigious scientific honours.
The award was presented in Jerusalem by Israeli President Isaac Herzog. The Wolf Prize recognised Jain’s groundbreaking work on composite fermions, a theory that transformed scientists’ understanding of the fractional quantum Hall effect and reshaped condensed matter physics.
Jain, who grew up in rural Rajasthan, developed the concept of composite fermions nearly four decades ago. The idea explained unusual quantum phenomena that had puzzled physicists for years and became a cornerstone of modern condensed matter research.
Accepting the honour, Jain said he felt deeply grateful to his teachers, students, collaborators and family. He described his lifelong pursuit of understanding nature as a privilege beyond measure.
Established in 1978, the Wolf Prize is regarded as one of the highest honours in science. Twenty-seven previous recipients in physics have later gone on to win the Nobel Prize.
Scientists say Jain’s work fundamentally changed the way researchers understand the quantum world and continues to influence modern physics.
