New Delhi, Feb 5 (IANS): President Pranab Mukherjee has presented the visitor's award for best varsity to the University of Hyderabad for its high standards in academic excellence, a release said Thursday.

The award in the innovation category has been given to Vijay K. Chaudhary and Amita Gupta of Delhi University for their invention of 'TB Confirm', a rapid diagnostic test for tuberculosis, it said.

Another award in the research category was received by cosmology and astrophysics research group, Centre for Theoretical Physics, Jamia Millia Islamia for research carried out in the field of astrophysics and cosmology.

The awards have been conferred Wednesday in a special function at the Rashtrapati Bhavan.

The University of Hyderabad has received a citation and trophy while winners of the visitor's award for innovation and research have received a citation and cash award of Rs.one lakh each.

The president has announced institution of these awards at the vice-chancellors' conference last year with the aim of promoting healthy competition among the central universities and motivating them to adopt best practices from across the world.