176 academics express concern about new selection process for prestigious science prize

A total of 176 academics on Tuesday wrote to the principal scientific advisor to the Government of India, expressing concerns about the new selection criteria for the Vigyan Yuva Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Award.

This came after 26 eminent scientists, who are also recipients of the award, wrote to the principal scientific advisor on August 30 seeking clarification about whether “unfair non-scientific considerations” influenced this year’s list of awardees.

The Vigyan Yuva Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Award is the rechristened avatar of the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Award, which has for over six decades been widely considered to be the most prestigious science award in India. It has now been made part of a larger group of science prizes called the Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar.

This year, at least two prospective awardees recommended by an expert panel were dropped from the final list of winners. One of them is a vocal critic of the Narendra Modi-led government.

On Tuesday, the group of 176 academics wrote to Principal Scientific Advisor Ajay Sood echoing the concerns of their 26 colleagues.

“We are in agreement with the spirit, intent and the text of the letter sent by 26 of our colleagues,” they said. “We agree with them that the procedures and criteria for determining Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskars should be,...

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