President Droupadi Murmu led the first-ever ceremony for the Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar (National Science Awards). These awards, introduced last year to replace all previous science honors, represent a new era in celebrating scientific excellence in India.
The ceremony was held in the Ganatantra Mandapam at Rashtrapati Bhawan, offering a prestigious setting for this important event.
India’s First Vigyan Ratna Puraskar
The most memorable part of the event was when the famous biochemist and former director of the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, Govindrajan Padmanabhan, received the first-ever Vigyan Ratna Puraskar, India's highest science award.
This award recognizes Dr. Padmanabhan's leadership in Indian scientific research as well as his important contributions to biochemistry.
Vigyan Shri Puraskar: Notable Recipients
The President presented 13 Vigyan Shri Puraskars to outstanding scientists in different fields. Some of the notable recipients were:
| Name | Position | Organization |
| Annapurni Subramaniam | Director | Indian Institute of Astrophysics, Bengaluru |
| Anandharamakrishnan C | Director | National Institute of Interdisciplinary Science and Technology, Thiruvananthapuram |
| Avesh Kumar Tyagi | Director, Chemistry Group | Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai |
| Syed Wajih Ahmad Naqvi | Director | CSIR-National Botanical Research Institute, Lucknow |
Vigyan Yuva-Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prizes: Notable Recipients
President Murmu awarded 18 Vigyan Yuva-Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prizes to honor the innovative work of young scientists. Notable recipients included:
| Name | Position | Organization |
| Roxy Mathew Koll | Climate Scientist | Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, Pune |
| Pragya Dhruv Yadav | Scientist | ICMR-National Institute of Virology, Pune |
| Urbasi Sinha | Scientist | Raman Research Institute, Bangalore |
| Digendranath Swain | Scientist | Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, Thiruvananthapuram |
Vigyan Team Award to Chandrayaan Mission
The ceremony not only saw the distribution of individual medals but also recognition of group effort. President Murmu awarded the Vigyan Team Award to the scientists and engineers responsible for the success of the Chandrayaan-3 mission. The award was received by the project director of the mission, P Veeramuthuvel.
The ceremony was a celebration of recognizing each awardee with a medal and citation, acknowledging their exceptional contributions to their fields.
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