President Murmu confers Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar to 24 Scientists

President Droupadi Murmu on Tuesday conferred the Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar 2025 on 24 eminent scientists and innovators at a ceremony held at Rashtrapati Bhavan, recognising outstanding contributions to India’s scientific and technological advancement. The prestigious Rashtriya Vigyan Ratna Puraskar for lifetime achievement was awarded posthumously to renowned astrophysicist Jayant Vishnu Narlikar, honouring his seminal work in cosmology and science communication. 

President Droupadi Murmu confers Vigyan Ratna to Prof. Jayant Vishnu Narlikar (Posthumously). He was a renowned Indian astrophysicist and cosmologist known for his ground-breaking work in cosmology and developed the Hoyle–Narlikar theory to unify gravitation and matter creation,… pic.twitter.com/wOkVFG33jH

— President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) December 23, 2025

One of the highlights of the ceremony was the conferment of the Rashtriya Vigyan Team Puraskar 2025 on the CSIR-Aroma Mission, the science-led initiative credited with powering India’s widely discussed Purple Revolution through lavender-based agri-entrepreneurship. The Aroma Mission, operating under the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, has played a key role in translating laboratory research into field-level outcomes. By promoting the cultivation and processing of aromatic crops—particularly lavender—in the Himalayan region, the mission has opened new livelihood avenues for farmers, reduced dependence on imported essential oils, and generated measurable socio-economic impact.Lavender cultivation, which began in Bhaderwah and Gulmarg areas of Jammu and Kashmir, has since expanded across the Union Territory and is now being adopted by other hill states including Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh. Dr. Jitendra Singh said the recognition reflects how coordinated scientific intervention can drive entrepreneurship even in remote and challenging terrains. In a post on X, he described the Purple Revolution as an example of science delivering grassroots transformation.

President of India, Smt Droupadi Murmu ji poses for a group photograph with the recipients of "#RashtriyaVigyanPuraskar 2025" at Rashtrapati Bhavan. @rashtrapatibhvn pic.twitter.com/HemRd1Msao

— Dr Jitendra Singh (@DrJitendraSingh) December 23, 2025

The Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar, instituted by the government as part of a restructured national science awards framework, aims to acknowledge excellence across the full spectrum of scientific work—ranging from lifetime achievement and distinguished contributions to young scientist recognition and team-based innovation. This year’s ceremony marked the second edition of the awards.

Under the Vigyan Shri category, which recognises distinguished contributions in specific disciplines, awards were conferred on leading scientists from fields including agriculture, atomic energy, biological sciences, chemistry, engineering, environmental science, mathematics, space science, and technology.

The Vigyan Yuva–Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Award, meant for scientists below the age of 45, recognised emerging researchers for innovative work across physics, agriculture, biological sciences, chemistry, earth science, engineering, medicine, space science, and technology. Women scientists featured prominently among this year’s awardees, reflecting the growing participation and leadership of women in India’s scientific ecosystem across disciplines.