Centre changes award schedule of Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar
This is also the first time that National Space Day, intended to mark the Chandrayaan-3 moon landing last year, is being celebrated
Backtracking from its stated plan to confer the maiden Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar awards on National Space Day, on August 23, the Centre instead has advanced the award distribution by a day to August 22. The prizes are expected to be given by President Droupadi Murmu, as originally planned.
Earlier this month, the government 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. This is also the first time that National Space Day, intended to mark the Chandrayaan-3 moon landing last year, is being celebrated.
The function as well as award ceremony was scheduled at the Bharat Mandapam. However for reasons that aren’t yet clear or made public, National Space Day programme will proceed as scheduled at the venue with the President in attendance. “The Puraskar Award ceremony will likely take place at Rashtrapati Bhavan on the 22nd,” an official told The Hindu. There has been no official communication on the change of venue and date. The National Space Day is being organised in New Delhi by the ISRO, one of whose teams is also a recipient of a Vigyan Puraskar team award.
“The rescheduling was at the last minute. I had to cancel some flights and meetings,” a scientist, who has been nominated for an award, said.
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 – up to three Vigyan Ratna to recognise lifetime achievements & contributions made in a given field of Science and Technology; up to 25 Vigyan Shri to recognise the distinguished contributions in given field of Science and Technology; up to 25 Vigyan Yuva: Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar (VY-SSB) award to recognise and encourage young scientists who made an exceptional contribution in given field of Science and Technology and up to three Vigyan Team awards to recognise a team comprising of three or more scientists/researchers/innovators who have made an exceptional contribution working in a team in given field of Science and Technology.
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, and earth sciences were awarded the Vigyan Shree and 18 scientists nominated for the Viyan Yuva. The Vigyan team award went to the ISRO’s Chandrayaan-3 team.
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