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President Murmu presented Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar 2024

The Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar, the highest science award in India, was inaugurated on August 22, 2024, by President Droupadi Murmu. The award recognizes 33 new science honors across four categories: Vigyan Ratna, Vigyan Shri, Vigyan Yuva, and Vigyan Team.

Inauguration of Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar

President Droupadi Murmu presented the first-ever Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar on August 22, 2024
Ceremony held at Ganatantra Mandapam, Rashtrapati Bhavan
New awards replace all previous science honors in India
33 awards presented across four categories: Vigyan Ratna, Vigyan Shri, Vigyan Yuva, and Vigyan Team

Vigyan Ratna and Vigyan Shri Awards

Vigyan Ratna Puraskar:

Highest science award in India
First recipient: Prof. Govindrajan Padmanabhan, former director of Indian Institute of Science
Honored for lifetime contributions to molecular biology and biotechnology

Vigyan Shri Puraskar:

13 scientists recognized for distinguished contributions
Notable recipients include:

• Annapurni Subramaniam, Director of Indian Institute of Astrophysics

• Anandharamakrishnan C, Director of National Institute of Interdisciplinary Science and Technology

• Avesh Kumar Tyagi, Director of Chemistry Group at Bhabha Atomic Research Centre

• Syed Wajih Ahmad Naqvi, Director of CSIR-National Botanical Research Institute

Vigyan Yuva and Team Awards

Vigyan Yuva-Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prizes:

18 young scientists honored for innovative work
Notable recipients include:

• Roxy Mathew Koll, climate scientist at Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology

• Pragya Dhruv Yadav, scientist at ICMR-National Institute of Virology

• Urbasi Sinha, scientist at Raman Research Institute

• Digendranath Swain, scientist at Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre

Vigyan Team Award:

Presented to the Chandrayaan-3 mission team
Recognized for successful moon landing near the south pole
Award accepted by project director P Veeramuthuvel

Significance and Impact

Awards aim to modernize and consolidate recognition of scientific achievements in India
Cover diverse fields including astrophysics, chemistry, climate science, and space technology
Recognize both lifetime achievements and contributions of young scientists
Highlight India's progress in various scientific domains, including space exploration

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