The Haryana Government on Sunday announced award and scholarships instituted in the memory of Karnal born astronaut Kalpana Chawla, who died in the crash of space shuttle Columbia on Saturday.

Haryana Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala announced that a 'Kalpana Chawla Memorial Gold Medal' would be awarded to the girl student securing maximum marks in class ten examinations.

Five monthly commemorative scholarships of Rs 2,000 each were also announced which would be awarded for a four-year preriod  to girls who obtain maximum marks in the 31 engineering colleges in the state.

He announced that one of the women polytechnics at Ambala, Faridabad and Sirsa would be named after Kalpana Chawla, to inspire the future generations.

The chief minister said that the Centre should confer an award befitting the first Indian woman astronaut in view of her exemplary courage and significant achievements.

In an official press release he also said that a special meeting of the state Cabinet would be convened shortly to finalise a proposal to this effect and forward it to the Centre.