Dr Manmohan Singh Trust institutes awards, fellowships at IISER-Mohali

The Dr Manmohan Singh Trust has instituted the Dr Manmohan Singh Awards for Academic Excellence and the Dr Manmohan Singh Fellowships at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Mohali, in a tribute to the late PM’s lifelong commitment to science education.

The first edition of the awards will be presented at the 15th annual convocation of IISER in Mohali on June 16, honouring four top-performing students from the graduating BS-MS batch — one each from the physical, chemical, biological and mathematical sciences, and earth and environmental sciences departments. Each award carries a cash prize of Rs 50,000 and will be conferred annually.

The fellowships, to be launched from the 2026-27 academic session, will support two outstanding BS-MS students entering their fourth year with Rs 2 lakh per year for two years, with selection based on merit, financial need, diversity and an interview. The first cohort of Fellows will be announced at the Institute’s Foundation Day in September, marking 20 years since Dr Singh laid its foundation stone.

The awards will be presented by Montek Singh Ahluwalia, Trustee of the Trust and former Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission and Dr Vijay Tankha, philosopher and Dr Singh’s son-in-law, both attending as special guests.

The initiative follows an April visit to the campus by Dr Singh’s daughters — historian Prof Upinder Singh and author Daman Singh — both Trustees of the Trust.

Welcoming the move, IISER-Mohali Director Prof Anil Kumar Tripathi said the awards and fellowships would inspire generations of students to pursue the highest standards of academic excellence that Dr Singh embodied.

Dr AS Kiran Kumar, former ISRO Chairman who oversaw missions including the Mars Orbiter Mission, will be the chief guest at the convocation.