The government has announced the first set of Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar, or national awards for scientists, ever since it controversially cut down the number of such awards in 2022. Thirty-three of these awards are slated to be given on August 23, the National Space Day to mark Chandrayaan 3’s moon landing, and were announced on Wednesday (August 7, 2024).
Following the rehaul of the scientific awards scheme, the Ministry of Science and Technology in January this year had notified four categories of awards, comprising a maximum of 56, for scientists. These are up to three Vigyan Ratna to recognise life-time achievements and contributions made in a given field of science and technology, up to 25 Vigyan Shri to recognise distinguished contributions, up to 25 Vigyan Yuva: Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar award to recognise and encourage young scientists who made an exceptional contribution, and up to three Vigyan Team awards to recognise a team of three or more scientists/researchers/innovators who have made an exceptional contribution working in a team.
Noted biochemist and former director of the Indian Institute of Science, G. Padmanabhan, was announced as the winner of the Vigyan Ratna. Thirteen scientists spanning a diverse set of fields from physics, chemistry, mathematics, atomic energy, biological sciences, earth sciences were awarded the Vigyan Shree and 18 scientists were nominated for the Viyan Yuva. The Vigyan team award went to the ISRO’s Chandrayaan-3 team. The awards are expected to be given at a ceremony on August 23 here.
The awards this year were decided via a nomination process on a portal maintained by the Ministry of Home Affairs that is a repository of a range of national awards.
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