President A P J Abdul Kalam has been selected for the King Charles II medal of the Royal Society of London for his contribution to science and technology and its promotion.
The 75-year-old president, is only the second head of state after Emperor Akihito of Japan, to be awarded the prestigious medal, which was instituted in 1997.
The institute said the President was selected for the award in recognition of his services to science and technology in India and the world over.
Official sources said the award is given only in "exceptional circumstances."
The award consists of a silver-gilt medal and is bestowed only on foreign heads of state who have made an outstanding contribution to furthering scientific research in their country.
As a scientist, the President has a big contribution to India's space and defence programme and he has given India technology vision 2020 to build a road map for transforming the country from developing status to a developed nation, the sources said quoting a communication from the institute.
Akhihito was awarded this medal in 1998.
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