Chandrayaan-3 team, ex-IISc Director win top science awards
- The government has announced the first set of Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar, or national awards for scientists
Highlights:
- Thirty-three of these Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar are slated to be given on August 23, the National Space Day to mark Chandrayaan 3’s moon landing
- 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,
- 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 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.
Prelims Takeaway
- Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar