New Delhi: The research work led by Prof. Sabu Thomas, Vice Chancellor, MG University and his Ph.D Student Mr. Avinash R. Pai bags the National award under theInnovation in green polymeric materials and product category at the 11^th National Petrochemical Awards held at New Delhi on Sept 27,2022. The award was presented by Shri. Bhagwanth Khuba, Minister of Delhi State for Chemicals & Fertilizers and New & Renewable Energy along with other dignitaries Mr. Arun Baroka, Secretary, Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals and Prof. Shishir Sinha, Director General of CIPET in the presence of representatives from industries, academia and R&D institutions. The Ph.D work of Mr. Avinash R. Pai on the sustainable use of plant based cellulose nanofibers to fabricate porous and conductive aerogels that have the ability to absorb excess electromagnetic radiations emanating from electronic devices won the award winning innovation. Nanocellulose is mostly extracted from plant fibers such as coir, banana, pineapple leaf and other agricultural residues and can be converted into value added products for high-end electronic applications. The conventional plastic & metal-based electromagnetic screening materials pose a host of environmental concerns and this innovation offers a sustainable, lightweight and biodegradable solution to this problem. Being a recipient of the prestigious Newton Bhabha Ph.D fellowship, Mr. Avinash R. Pai also performed a part of this research at Lancaster University with a full funding from the British Council, United Kingdom. The group is currently working on developing fully biodegradable THz absorbers for futuristic applications like 6G communication and beyond. The award includes a citation, shield and a cash prize of Rs 1,00,000/- to the winners.