French research scholar selected for President's award

Prof. Francois Gros, a French scholar and researcher in the French government administered French Institute of Puducherry, has been selected for the President's 'Kural Peedam' award for 2008-2009.
The award, in recognition of his scholarly works on classical Tamil, will be presented to him here on March one by the Director-cum-Registrar of the Central Institute of Classical Tamil, Chennai, a press release from the institute said.
French Consul General in Puducherry Pierre Fournier, will be among those to felicitate him at the function, it said.
Gros was Director of Studies in South Indian Philosophy and History at the Ecole Pratique Des Hautes Etudes in France and is carrying out research in classical Tamil at the institute.

He has collaborated with several programmes in Indology Department and was also the Director of the French School for Asian Studies here from 1977 to 1989, the release said.
The President's award for Prof. Gros is under the category of awards for foreigners.