Top science awardees may not get cash perks next year onwards
The government last week announced that science, technology and innovations awards will now be conferred as the Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar
Prizes recognising contributions of Indian scientists, including the recast Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Awards, are unlikely to carry a cash component from next year, officials of the science and technology ministry said on Monday.
The Bhatnagar Awards for 2022 will be presented to 12 scientists on Tuesday on the occasion of the 82nd foundation day of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, India’s largest state-run research organisation. These awards, the official said, will likely be the last set of prizes that would have a cash component.
“Scientists need to work for the love of science and not for cash incentives. The awards presented on Tuesday will carry a cash component, but from next year, there will only be a certificate and medallion presented to the awardees,” the official said, declining to be named.
The government last week announced that science, technology and innovations awards will now be conferred as the Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar to be announced under four categories—Vigyan Ratna, Vigyan Shri, Vigyan Yuva–Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar and Vigyan Team.
The Bhatnagar Awards, named after the founding director of CSIR, carry a cash component of ₹5 lakh, including salary perks. The National Technology Awards also currently carries a cash component ₹25 lakh.
The Vigyan Ratna award will recognize lifetime achievements and contributions made in any field of science and technology, Vigyan Shri will recognize distinguished contributions in any field of science and technology, Vigyan Yuva-Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar will recognize and encourage young scientists up to the age of 45 years who made an exceptional contribution in any field of science and technology and Vigyan Team will to be given to a team comprising of three or more scientists, researchers or innovators who have made an exceptional contribution working in a team in any field of science and technology, the central government said.
The ministry planned to combine the awards and fellowships in the field of science and technology to uphold the importance and credibility of state recognition, ministry officials had said last year.
The department of science and technology had 207 awards under it, of which four were national awards, 97 private endowments awards, 54 lecture, scholarship, fellowship awards and 56 internal awards. However, in a meeting last year, it was decided that all private endowments awards will be discontinued.