SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure | SDG 4: Quality Education | SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals
Institutions: Ministry of Science & Technology | Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)
The Government of India has announced the Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar 2025, the nation’s highest recognition for inspiring contributions in science, technology, and innovation. The awards are conferred in four categories: Vigyan Ratna (VR) for lifetime achievements, Vigyan Shri (VS) for distinguished contributions, Vigyan Yuva-Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar (VY-SSB) for scientists up to age 45, and Vigyan Team (VT) for exceptional collaborative work.
The Puraskar honors excellence across 13 domains, including Medicine, Space Science, Atomic Energy, and Agricultural Science. Notable awardees for 2025 include Prof. Jayant Vishnu Narlikar (posthumously) for Vigyan Ratna in Physics, and the Aroma Mission Team (CSIR) for the Vigyan Team award in Agricultural Science. By celebrating the nation’s visionaries, the awards aim to motivate the next generation, strengthen the research ecosystem, and accelerate India’s journey as a global leader in scientific innovation.
Instituting the nation’s highest civilian awards specifically for science and technology underscores the government’s strategic focus on fostering a culture of innovation and research, which is essential for translating scientific breakthroughs into sustained national development and global competitiveness.
What is the Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar?→ The Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar is the highest national recognition instituted by the Government of India to honor and promote outstanding and inspiring contributions by scientists, technologists, and innovators across various fields of science and technology for national development.
Relevant Question for Policy Stakeholders: How will the government ensure that the Puraskar effectively translates the recognized research achievements into commercially scalable and deployable solutions for the industry?
Follow the full news here: Government of India Announces Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar 2025 to Honour Excellence in Science, Technology, and Innovation

