Vigyan Ratna: India’s crown jewel of scientific honour
INFONUGGET: India’s top science award, similar to the Nobel Prize
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In the evolving landscape of Indian science, the Vigyan Ratna Award stands as the nation’s highest recognition for excellence in science, technology and innovation — often hailed as the Indian counterpart to the Nobel Prize.
Instituted in 2023 and first conferred in 2024, this prestigious award celebrates a lifetime of contribution to the advancement of scientific thought and innovation. It forms the pinnacle of the Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar (RVP) scheme — a Padma-style national honour dedicated exclusively to the scientific community. Alongside the Vigyan Ratna, the scheme also includes Vigyan Shri, Vigyan Yuva-Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar and Vigyan Team awards.
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Each year, up to three distinguished scientists are chosen for the Vigyan Ratna. The process itself mirrors India’s reverence for science:
• Nominations: January 14 to February 28, marking the spirit of National Science Day
• Announcement: May 11, celebrated as National Technology Day
• Award ceremony: August 23, National Space Day, commemorating India’s cosmic journey
The inaugural laureate in 2024 was Dr Govindarajan Padmanabhan, an eminent biochemist whose groundbreaking research on the malaria parasite shaped India’s biomedical landscape.
In 2025, the Vigyan Ratna was posthumously awarded to Prof Jayant Vishnu Narlikar, the visionary astrophysicist whose pioneering work in cosmology continues to inspire generations.
This year’s Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar list — announced on October 25, 2025 — also celebrated 24 other scientists and one research team for their pathbreaking contributions.
The recent list for the Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar 2025 included 24 other scientists and one research team, adding to the principal awardees. These additional awards recognised their significant contributions across various scientific fields, which were announced on October 25, 2025, by the government (Vigyan Shri Awardees (8), Vigyan Yuva-Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Awardees (14) and Vigyan Team Award: CSIR Aroma Mission).
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UPSC Nugget
The Vigyan Ratna Award — instituted in 2023 under the Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar Scheme — is the highest national honour in science and technology, recognising lifetime contributions. It is conferred annually on National Space Day (August 23) and parallels India’s vision of “Viksit Bharat through Vigyan” — a nation guided by the light of scientific temper.
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