Scientists question removal of eminent researchers from shortlisted Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar
Leading scientists, including some from the jury, have questioned the "integrity" of the process in light of the purported removal of three eminent scientists from the pool of candidates for the newly established Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar (RVP). The scientists are Suvrat Raju, a physicist at Tata Institute of Fundamental Research; Prateek Sharma, a physicist at the Indian Institute of Science in Bengaluru; and Suman Chakraborty of IIT Kharagpur, who received the Infosys Prize for Engineering and Computer Science in 2022.
This is RVP's first year, and 33 winners were named in four categories: Vigyan Shri for scientists of all ages, Vigyan Yuva for scientists under 45, and Vigyan Ratna for lifetime achievement. The awards are given out in collaboration with Vigyan Teams.
Following the dissolution of previous science awards, including as the highly sought-after Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize for scientists under 45, the RVP was established last year; Vigyan Yuva is the prize's replacement.
The Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar Committee (RVPC), which is led by the Principal Scientific Advisor (PSA) to the Prime Minister, receives shortlists from subject experts as part of the selection process. The RVPC then forwards its final list to the Ministry of Science and Technology.
The government made the announcement of the awards on August 7. After this announcement The Indian Express disclosed that several members of the subject expert committees and the apex committee requested clarification from the government regarding the factors that might have affected the final list of recipients this year and led to the removal of certain names.
Thirty-six scientists, who were all Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Award recipients, wrote to PSA Ajay Sood three weeks later on August 30 to express their concerns with the selection procedure.
The fact that two of the three scientists, Raju and Sharma, criticized IISc for abruptly calling off a discussion on UAPA last year that was supposed to be led by student activists Natasha Narwal and Devangana Kalita, has added another twist to this dispute. Additionally, the two scientists had signed open letters regarding the Bhima Koregaon case, the Citizenship Amendment Act, and the NIA.Upon being reached, Sharma informed The Indian Express that he was unaware of the RVPC's recommendation of his name and declined to comment.
Suvrat said he noticed his name was recommended by the apex committee when he received “a congratulatory message from a senior scientist involved in the selection process who assumed, in good faith, that the decisions of the scientific committee would be honoured by the government.”
"This scientist later told me that my name had been removed," Suvrat remarked. "I don't think it matters too much who the exact people who were removed were. The government's actions, which indicate intolerance for dissent, are what matter. The ramifications of such manipulations for academic freedom and democratic rights in scientific areas should worry all academics in the nation.
IIT Kharagpur student Chakraborty responded, "I don't know if my name was in the final list," when approached. All awards, meanwhile, contain a subjective aspect. I accept the ultimate judgment, and I think all the winners are worthy of recognition.
PSA Sood was not accessible for comment even after The Indian Express called and messaged him multiple times.
The government's website underlines that the Honourable Minister of Science & Technology, Government of India, would receive recommendations from the RVPC. It's interesting to note that this phrase was added just this past weekend. The website had previously simply mentioned that the RVPC will review all nominations for the award under the selection process.
The Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Award winners have, however, questioned the PSA in their protest letter whether the recommendations of the supreme committee were adopted in their totality or changed by other bodies or authorities.
“In the latter case we request that details of the nature of these committees and the criteria employed in arriving at their decisions be made public. We request confirmation that the processes and standards used to determine Vigyan Yuva Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar awards are completely impartial, open, and devoid of any unnecessary factors in order to preserve the integrity of the Bhatnagar award, according to the letter.
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Maharashtra government considers tweaks to Ladki Bahin scheme amid fiscal strain: Reports
Mumbai: A day after the Mahayuti coalition secured a landslide victory in the Maharashtra Assembly elections, attention has turned to the Ladki Bahin Yojana, a flagship welfare scheme that played a pivotal role in attracting women voters.
The scheme, launched in July 2024, offers ₹1,500 per month to economically disadvantaged women aged 18 to 65. The Mahayuti, in its election manifesto, pledged to increase the amount to ₹2,100 per month, a promise now under scrutiny due to fiscal concerns. With the scheme projected to cost the exchequer ₹33,300 crore from July 2024 to March 2025, bureaucrats are exploring ways to revise its provisions to prevent a financial imbalance.
Finance Minister and NCP leader Ajit Pawar hinted at the challenges, stressing the need for "financial discipline." A senior bureaucrat confirmed that plans are underway to prune the list of beneficiaries, citing the inclusion of ineligible individuals due to incomplete Aadhaar seeding and lack of required ration cards. According to the finance department, nearly one crore women out of the 2.43 crore registered beneficiaries may not qualify for the scheme.
The state’s debt burden is already projected to reach ₹7.82 lakh crore for the fiscal year 2024-25. Officials warn that continuing the scheme in its current form could impact the government’s ability to pay salaries by January. Despite these concerns, the ruling coalition is hesitant to reduce the beneficiary list, likely due to the upcoming civic elections.
Chief Secretary Sujata Saunik is expected to present renegotiation proposals to the new chief minister soon. Meanwhile, Shiv Sena spokesperson Krishna Hegde credited the scheme for increasing the number of women voters and boosting the coalition’s vote share. NCP (SP) leader Sharad Pawar also acknowledged the scheme’s role in mobilising women voters.
Other welfare measures introduced by the government include an electricity bill waiver for farmers and three free LPG cylinders annually for six million households. However, the financial viability of such initiatives remains a pressing concern.
