Who among the following has been awarded with the 'Life Time Excellence' Award in Earth System Science in July 2020 by Ministry of Earth Sciences, Government of India?

The correct answer is D) Ashok Sahni, a paleontologist whose work on fossils and the geological record fits the Earth System Science framing of the award. The Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) gives its Lifetime Excellence Awards to scientists for sustained contributions across the earth sciences, and this one was announced in 2020.

Why the others are less likely to be the answer:

• A) S. Suresh Babu is known for atmospheric and aerosol research, which is a different sub-field from the one the award recognised.
• B) P.L.N. Raju is associated with atmospheric and ocean-related research, not with the paleo and geological work behind this award.
• C) S.P.S. Kushwaha is linked to remote sensing and forest or space-based applications, which is again outside the award's core domain.

The core concept is that Earth System Science integrates geology, climate, oceans and atmosphere. For Mains GS-I (Geography and Environment), it helps to know how paleoclimate records inform present climate change. Check the MoES award list for the exact citation before relying on this in an interview.

Trap: aspirants often pick the atmospheric or ISRO-linked names because they sound like 'earth science' scientists. Read the award's field carefully: this one went to a paleo-scientist.