Science and tech awards to get Padma-style makeover into Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar

Govt. institutes Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar (RVP) to felicitate scientists, technologists & innovators. 56 prizes, no cash component, certificates & medallions. Awards for 13 categories, incl. physics, chemistry, biology, etc. & ‘Others’. Replaces 300 prizes, most internal, incl. DAE & Dept. of Space. Awarded annually on May 11 & Aug. 23. Conferred by President/Vice President. Committee of 6 science Ministries, 4 academies & 6 scientists. CSIR to coordinate admin. for 2 yrs, then taken over by Nat. Research Foundation.

Nearly a year after the Union Government decided to cut the number of prizes annually awarded by its science-affiliated Ministries, it has instituted the Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar (RVP) — 56 prizes to felicitate scientists, technologists and innovators. Akin to the prestigious Padma awards, these awards will not include any cash component; instead, they will likely bestow only a certificate and medallion on the awardee, sources confirmed to The Hindu.

According to the proposal seen by The Hindu, which is yet to be made public, the RVP will comprise three Vigyan Ratna awards, as well as 25 Vigyan Shri, 25 Vigyan Yuva-Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar, and three Vigyan Team awards.

These prizes will be awarded annually for physics, chemistry, biological sciences, mathematics and computer science, earth science, medicine, engineering science, agricultural science, environmental science, technology and innovation, atomic energy, space science and technology, and a 13th category, simply called ‘Others’.

“It may be ensured that each domain may be represented. Adequate representation of women may also be ensured,” said the proposal forwarded by the Department of Science and Technology (DST) to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).

The 56 proposed awards are a stark reduction from the almost 300 science prizes that used to be given by Union Ministries. In their previous avatar, the prizes also had a significant cash component. The Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar (SSB) awards, given by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) since 1958, now includes ₹5 lakh per winner, as well as a salary perk. In fact, the government announced the names of 12 winners of the SSB awards just last week, after a year’s delay .The National Technology Awards, given to teams by the Technology Development Board (a DST entity), also include cash prizes worth ₹25 lakh.

The new awards will also be open to persons of Indian origin (PIOs), though a maximum of one such may be awarded the Vigyan Ratna, while three PIOs each can be selected for the Vigyan Shri and the VY-SSB. However, PIOs will not be eligible for the Vigyan Team awards.

The Vigyan Ratna awards shall be for “lifetime contributions along with excellence made in any field of science”, the Vigyan Shri for “distinguished contribution to any field”, and the SSB for “exceptional contribution by young scientists”. The team awards shall be for three or more researchers who have made an “exceptional contribution as a team”. There are no age limits for any prizes except the SSB, for which recipients must be 45 years or younger.