President Murmu Presents Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar 2024 to 33 Distinguished Scientists at Rashtrapati Bhavan

This first edition of the prestigious awards recognized 33 distinguished scientists across four categories: Vigyan Ratna, Vigyan Shri, Vigyan Yuva, and Vigyan Team.

President of India, Smt. Droupadi Murmu, presented the Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar-2024 during an award ceremony at Gantantra Mandap, Rashtrapati Bhavan, on August 22, 2024. This first edition of the prestigious awards recognized 33 distinguished scientists across four categories: Vigyan Ratna, Vigyan Shri, Vigyan Yuva, and Vigyan Team.

The Vigyan Ratna Award, which honors lifetime contributions to Science and Technology, was bestowed upon Prof. Govindarajan Padmanabhan, a pioneer in molecular biology and biotechnology research in India. The Vigyan Shri Awards were given to 13 scientists for their groundbreaking contributions in various scientific fields. Among them were Dr. Anandharamakrishnan for his work in food processing, Dr. Avesh Kumar Tyagi for his contributions to the Indian Atomic Energy Program, and Prof. Umesh Varshney for his research in microbiology.

The Vigyan Yuva-SSB Awards recognized 18 young scientists for their significant contributions to fields ranging from Indian Ocean warming studies to the development of indigenous 5G technology. Notable recipients included Dr. Roxy Mathew Koll for his research on Indian Ocean warming, Dr. Radha Krishna Ganti for his work on 5G Base Stations, and Dr. Pragya Dhruv Yadav for her expertise in high-risk pathogens.

The Vigyan Team Award was presented to the Chandrayaan-3 team from the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) for their successful mission that led to the historic landing of Chandrayaan-3 near the south pole of the moon. This achievement represents a landmark in India's space exploration efforts.

Minister of Science & Technology, Dr. Jitendra Singh, expressed his gratitude to President Murmu for presenting the awards, highlighting the importance of recognizing India's scientific talent and achievements in Science, Technology, and Innovation.