Bangalore, Nov 23 (IANS): India's top scientist C.N.R. Rao, who was recently named for the Bharat Ratna - the country's highest civilian award - has been elected honorary foreign member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the first Indian to be so honoured.

"Rao is the first Indian scientist to be elected recently (Nov 4) to the prestigious academy, which consists of several Nobel laureates and eminent scientists of the world," the Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR) where Rao is the founder-president, said in a statement here Saturday.

The Chinese Academy of Science had bestowed upon the 80-year-old Rao the Award for International Scientific Cooperation in January 2012.

"Rao is the most decorated scientist of India and was elected to several scientific academies the world over, including the Royal Society, London, National Academy of Sciences, US., Pontifical Academy of Science, Japan Academy and Royal Spanish Academy of Sciences," the statement said.

The Bangalore-born Rao is chairman of the Scientific Advisory Council to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh since 2005 in addition to being the national research professor.