RASTRIYA VIGYAN PURASKAR (Syllabus: GS Paper 2– Government Initiatives/Governance)

Context: Nearly a year after the Union Government decided to cut the number of prizes annually awarded by its science-affiliated Ministries, it has instituted the Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar (RVP) -  56 prizes to felicitate scientists, technologists and innovators.

Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar (RVP)

• About: Similar to the prestigious Padma awards, these awards will not include any cash component; instead, they will likely bestow only a certificate and medallion on the awardee.
• It will comprise: 3 Vigyan Ratna awards, as well as 25 Vigyan Shri, 25 Vigyan Yuva-Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar, and 3 Vigyan Team awards.
• Frequency of award: Annually.
• Categories covered: Total 13.

o It will include - physics, chemistry, biological sciences, mathematics and computer science, earth science, medicine, engineering science, agricultural science, environmental science, technology and innovation, atomic energy, space science and technology, and a 13th category, simply called ‘Others’.

• Open to PIOs: The RVP will also be open to persons of Indian origin (PIOs), but with some exemptions.
• It will start from: May 11, 2024, which is National Technology Day, and will be awarded on National Space Day, August 23. 
• Criticism: The RVP awards are a major truncation of the nearly 300 awards that were given by scientific Ministries, though most of these were internal awards.