Academics express concern over new selection criteria for prestigious science prize
New Delhi: Nearly 200 academics wrote to the principal scientific advisor to the Government of India on Tuesday, raising concerns about the new selection criteria for the Vigyan Yuva Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Award.
This letter follows a previous communication from 26 eminent scientists on August 30, who sought clarification on the award selection process after media reports suggested that “unfair non-scientific considerations” had influenced this year's list of awardees.
The Vigyan Yuva Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Award is a revamped version of the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Award, which has been regarded as one of India’s most prestigious science award for over six decades. It is now part of a larger group of science prizes known as the Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar.
This year, at least two potential awardees recommended by an expert panel were omitted from the final list of winners, including one individual who has been a vocal critic of the Narendra Modi-led government, as reported by Scroll.
The letter, as cited by the publication, stated, “We are in agreement with the spirit, intent and the text of the letter sent by 26 of our colleagues." It added, “We agree with them that the procedures and criteria for determining Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskars should be, and seen to be fully fair, transparent and free of extraneous considerations.”
The 176 academics expressed concern that “the list of names declared as the award winners is not the same as the list recommended by RVPC”.
They emphasised that the expert panel can only recommend names to the president or prime minister, noting that this aspect of the process is not new. However, they pointed out that the recent practice of dropping names at the “discretion of the minister (science and technology) is something that has been unheard of for all these years.”
Furthermore, the letter mentioned that this could set a troubling precedent, allowing the minister “to use unrestricted vetoes” to overrule the expert committee’s recommendations. They cautioned that academics viewed unfavourably by the government could be sidelined not only from awards but also from scientific grants, recruitments, promotions, and more.
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CM Siddaramaiah alleges ‘criminal conspiracy’ in Sringeri recount, vows legal action
Bengaluru (PTI): Alleging a “criminal conspiracy” by BJP candidate D N Jeevaraj in the Sringeri Assembly poll recounting, Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah on Tuesday said the outcome was manipulated after valid postal ballot votes in favour of Congress leader T D Raje Gowda were tampered with during the recounting process.
Following a Karnataka High Court order on an election petition filed by Jeevaraj, challenging Raje Gowda’s election, the reverification and recounting were conducted on Saturday.
After the reverification and recount of postal ballots for the Sringeri Assembly constituency, votes polled in favour of Raje Gowda were reduced by 255, the returning officer said.
A report on the matter has been submitted to the Election Commission of India for further action, the officer added.
Congress leader Raje Gowda had won the 2023 Assembly polls from Sringeri by 201 votes, defeating his nearest rival Jeevaraj.
Addressing a press conference in Bengaluru, Siddaramaiah said the High Court had directed the recounting of postal ballots and that irregularities were noticed during the exercise conducted on May 2.
“This is a clear case of criminal conspiracy,” Siddaramaiah said, alleging that valid votes cast in favour of Raje Gowda were altered after being accepted by counting agents of all parties, including Congress, BJP, and JD(S).
He claimed that during the recounting of postal ballots, 255 votes were initially accepted as valid by all agents but were later tampered with by subordinate officials.
“There is a second mark on the votes polled in favour of Raje Gowda. They had accepted these as valid votes. Subsequently, another mark was made by officials. This is a clear case of criminal conspiracy,” he said.
When asked who was behind the alleged conspiracy, the CM replied, “It was hatched by Jeevaraj and others. It is planned.”
Siddaramaiah further alleged that the returning officer acted improperly by declaring the result despite the presence of an Election Commission observer during the recounting.
“Immediately after the counting, the returning officer announced the result. He should not have done so; this is against the law,” he said.
He pointed out that Raje Gowda had originally won by 201 votes, but after the recounting, the BJP candidate was declared the winner by 52 votes.
“The BJP has committed a criminal act of conspiracy. This is not vote chori but vote dacoity,” he alleged.
The CM said a police complaint had already been filed by Raje Gowda’s election agent, Sudhir Kumar, and emphasised the need for electoral integrity.
“We want transparency and free and fair elections. That is what our Constitution mandates,” he added.
Stating that the government would pursue legal remedies, Siddaramaiah said, “We are preparing an appeal challenging the returning officer’s announcement in a court of law.”
Responding to a separate query on elections in other states, the CM said there appeared to be an anti-incumbency factor in West Bengal, while results in Tamil Nadu were “surprising,” adding that Vijay’s party was emerging as the largest there.
Following the victory of party candidates in Bagalkote and Davanagere South, Siddaramaiah expressed confidence about future electoral prospects in Karnataka.
“Even in 2028, we will win the Assembly elections. We will come back,” the CM said.
Siddaramaiah added that he would order a forensic examination into the alleged tampering of postal ballots.
