Govindarajan Padmanabhan, a distinguished biochemist, has been honored with India’s inaugural ‘Vigyan Ratna’ award, the nation’s highest scientific accolade, in recognition of his lifetime achievements in science and technology. The government announced this prestigious recognition on Wednesday, alongside the selection of ISRO’s Chandrayaan-3 team for the first-ever ‘Vigyan Team’ award.
Padmanabhan, who has previously been awarded the Padma Bhushan, currently serves as an honorary professor at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) in Bengaluru. The ‘Vigyan Ratna’ award is specifically designed to acknowledge individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the fields of science and technology.
Along with the ‘Vigyan Ratna’ award, the government also revealed 33 recipients for the ‘Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar’ 2024. This includes 18 ‘Vigyan Yuva: Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar’ awards for young scientists and 13 ‘Vigyan Shri’ awards for distinguished contributions. The ‘Vigyan Yuva’ award aims to recognize and support emerging scientists, while the ‘Vigyan Shri’ award is reserved for those who have made significant advancements in their respective fields.
The ‘Vigyan Team’ award, awarded to the Chandrayaan-3 team, celebrates the exceptional collaborative efforts of three or more scientists who have contributed significantly to a scientific achievement. This award highlights the collective success of the ISRO team in the Chandrayaan-3 mission.
The ‘Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar’ was introduced by the government in January to consolidate all national science awards in a manner similar to the Padma awards. Unlike previous science accolades, the ‘Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar’ does not include a cash prize. Instead, recipients will receive a medallion and a citation (‘sanad’).
These prestigious awards will be presented by President Droupadi Murmu at a ceremony in Rashtrapati Bhavan on National Space Day, August 23.
Govindarajan Padmanabhan’s selection for the ‘Vigyan Ratna’ award is a powerful recognition of his extraordinary contributions to biochemistry and his unwavering commitment to advancing scientific knowledge. His work has profoundly influenced both the scientific community and society at large.
