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. The award was presented in the presence of Union Minister of Science and Technology Jitendra Singh.
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.
Congratulating the team, 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.
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.
Congratulating all recipients, Dr. Jitendra Singh said the diversity of awardees underlined India’s deep scientific talent pool and highlighted the role of science and technology in addressing national priorities and improving the quality of life of citizens.
