NEW DELHI: Celebrated biochemist Govindarajan Padmanabhan was selected for the first ‘Vigyan Ratna’ award, the top-most science award in the country, while Isro’s Chandrayaan-3 team was selected for the first ‘Vigyan Team’ award with the govt on Wednesday announcing 33 names for the ‘Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar’ 2024 under four categories.
Padma Bhushan awardee Padmanabhan is an honorary professor at IISc, Bengaluru.
The list of 33 awardees include 18 ‘Vigyan Yuva: Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar’ award for young scientists and 13 ‘Vigyan Shri’ awards. The awards will be presented by President Droupadi Murmu in Rashtrapati Bhavan on National Space Day August 23.
Padma Bhushan awardee Padmanabhan is an honorary professor at IISc, Bengaluru.
The list of 33 awardees include 18 ‘Vigyan Yuva: Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar’ award for young scientists and 13 ‘Vigyan Shri’ awards. The awards will be presented by President Droupadi Murmu in Rashtrapati Bhavan on National Space Day August 23.
‘Vigyan Ratna’ will be awarded to recognise lifetime achievements and contributions in a given field of science and technology, whereas ‘Vigyan Shri’ will be given to recognise distinguished contributions. ‘Vigyan Yuva’ award is meant to recognise and encourage young scientists while ‘Vigyan Team’ award will be given to a team comprising three or more scientists who have made an exceptional contribution.
The govt had instituted ‘Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar’ in Jan by rationalising all science awards in the country on the lines of Padma awards where the awardees will be given a medallion and ‘sanad’ (citation). Unlike earlier science awards, Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar will not have a cash component.