On October 26, 2025, the Indian government announced the recipients of the Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar 2025, the nation’s highest civilian honour for contributions to science, technology, and innovation. Instituted to celebrate excellence across diverse scientific fields, these awards aim to foster a culture of research and innovation in India.
Award Categories
The Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar is conferred in four major categories,
- Vigyan Ratna – For lifetime achievements in science
- Vigyan Shri – For exceptional individual contributions
- Vigyan Yuva–Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar – For young scientists (under 45 years)
- Vigyan Team Award – For collaborative research efforts
2025 Honourees
Vigyan Ratna (Posthumous)
- Prof. Jayant Vishnu Narlikar – Awarded posthumously for his outstanding contribution to Physics.
Vigyan Shri Awardees
Recognised across multiple disciplines,
- Dr. Gyanendra Pratap Singh – Agricultural Science
- Dr. Yusuf Mohammad Seikh – Atomic Energy
- Dr. K. Thangaraj – Biological Sciences
- Prof. Pradeep Thalappil – Chemistry
- Prof. Aniruddha Bhalchandra Pandit – Engineering Sciences
- Dr. S. Venkata Mohan – Environmental Science
- Prof. Mahan Mj – Mathematics and Computer Science
- Shri Jayan N – Space Science and Technology
Vigyan Yuva–Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Award
Awarded to young and emerging scientists,
- Dr. Jagdis Gupta Kapuganti, Dr. Satendra Kumar Mangrauthia, Shri Debarka Sengupta, Dr. Deepa Agashe, Dr. Dibyendu Das, Dr. Waliur Rahaman, Prof. Arkaprava Basu, Prof. Sabyasachi Mukherjee, Prof. Shweta Prem Agrawal, Dr. Suresh Kumar, Prof. Amit Kumar Agarwal, Prof. Surhud Shrikant More, Shri Ankur Garg, Prof. Mohanasankar Sivaprakasam
Vigyan Team Award
- CSIR Aroma Mission Team – Recognised for their exceptional work in agricultural science.
Award Scope and Significance
The awards span 13 scientific domains,
- Physics, Chemistry, Biological Sciences
- Mathematics & Computer Science
- Medicine, Engineering
- Agricultural & Environmental Sciences
- Atomic Energy, Space Science
- Technology and Innovation
- Nominations for the 2025 awards were accepted via the National Awards Portal from October 4 to November 17, 2024.
This recognition underscores India’s commitment to encouraging scientific excellence and innovation-driven growth. The award ceremony details are to be announced soon.
Key Facts
- Announced on: 26 October 2025
- Total Categories: 4 (Vigyan Ratna, Shri, Yuva-Bhatnagar, Team)
- Posthumous Lifetime Award: Prof. Jayant Vishnu Narlikar (Physics)
- Team Winner: CSIR Aroma Mission (Agricultural Science)
- Fields Covered: 13 scientific domains
- Purpose: Honour innovation, research, and scientific leadership