New Delhi, Oct 28 (NationPress) The Indian scientific realm was celebrated last week with the reveal of the Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar (RVP) 2025 list, recognizing 24 remarkable scientists and one innovative research team for their impactful contributions across various fields.

Building on its inaugural edition, these awards embody the Union government's vision of 'Viksit Bharat' through Vigyan, representing a progressive India driven by scientific thought and innovation.

The highest honor, Vigyan Ratna, stands as the nation's premier civilian recognition in science and technology, first introduced in 2023 and awarded in 2024 to Dr. Govindarajan Padmanabhan, a distinguished biochemist whose extensive research on the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum unveiled critical insights into drug resistance and inspired worldwide anti-malarial strategies.

Presented annually on National Space Day, celebrated on August 23, the award mirrors the prestige of the Bharat Ratna but is exclusively dedicated to lifelong scientific excellence.

In addition to this top honor, three other categories exist.

Eight senior researchers received the Vigyan Shri award for their enduring impact in areas ranging from quantum materials to sustainable agriculture.

Fourteen early- and mid-career innovators, all under 45, were distinguished as Vigyan Yuva-Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar awardees, a reimagining of the renowned SS Bhatnagar Prize aimed at nurturing India's future generation of scientific leaders.

The single Vigyan Team award was granted to the CSIR Aroma Mission, a multi-institutional consortium that has revitalized aromatic crop cultivation across 60,000 hectares, benefiting over 50,000 farmers in 26 states with high-yielding varieties of lavender, rosemary, and lemongrass, generating Rs 1,200 crore in rural revenue since 2017.

The 2025 awardees exemplify India's expanding scientific influence.

Among the Vigyan Shri recipients is a climate modeller whose AI-enhanced monsoon predictions have diminished crop losses by 18 percent in Odisha, alongside a materials scientist developing biodegradable polymers from agricultural waste suitable for medical implants.

Notable Yuva awardees include a 38-year-old astrophysicist analyzing fast radio bursts at Pune's Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope and a 41-year-old biotechnologist creating salt-tolerant rice strains currently under field trials in coastal Tamil Nadu.

Initiated in 2023 to consolidate 16 fragmented science awards, the RVP scheme streamlines recognition within a single, transparent framework.

Nominations are reviewed by a 300-member search-cum-selection committee led by the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Union government, Ajay Kumar Sood, ensuring a peer-driven meritocracy.

Unlike prior awards, RVP does not include a monetary reward; instead, it provides a sanad, citation, and a medal made of panchdhatu, symbolizing the unity of five classical elements.

The awards ceremony will be conducted by President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan on National Science Day on February 28, 2026.

As India aspires for a $1 trillion research economy by 2047, the RVP not only celebrates past achievements but also signifies a national commitment to position science at the forefront of development.