National Awards for Science Communication

The Rashtriya Vigyan Evam Prodyogiki Sanchar Parishad (National Council for Science & Technology Communication), Dept. of Science and Technology, Government of India announces its annual national awards for science and technology communication for outstanding work done in the past 5 years.

• National Award of Rupees 2,00,000/- for Outstanding Efforts in Science Communication has been given to the Jan Vignana Vedika (Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh), a science communication based voluntary organization, for its contribution towards scientific awareness and building a knowledge-based society by publishing popular science literature, organizing popular science events and developing low-cost teaching aids.
• National Award of Rupees 1,00,000/- for Outstanding Efforts in Science Communication through Books and Magazines has been given to Mohan Sundara Rajan (Bangalore, Karnataka) for writing popular science books and articles, science fiction and columns in newspaper.
  
  A similar award has been given to Bhola Nath Dwivedi (Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh) for writing numerous research papers and articles for various globally prestigious journals on difficult scientific topics for layman.
  
• National Award of Rupees 1,00,000/- for Outstanding Efforts in Science Popularization among Children has been given to Mohammed Khalil (New Delhi) for his pioneering contributions through his books, biographies of great scientists, editorials and science columns in popular science magazines, articles in newspapers, and radio talks especially in Urdu.
• National Award of Rupees 1,00,000/- for Outstanding Efforts in Translation of Popular Science and Technology Literature has been given to Gadadhar Misra (Orissa) for his yeoman services through translation of a number of popular English books on scientific topics into Oriya.
• National Award of Rupees 1,00,000/- for Outstanding Efforts in Science and Technology Communication in Print Medium has been given to Pallava Bagla (Delhi), a globally acclaimed science journalist/ photo-journalist, for diligently putting across developments in Indian science and technology to the common man through newspapers and journals.
  
  

Eminent media personality Kiran Karnik, President, NASSCOM will felicitate the winners at a function being organized on the eve of the National Science Day in New Delhi on February 27, 2006. Along with each award, a memento and a citation would be presented. Dr. V. R. Gowarikar, Chairman, Rajiv Gandhi Science & Technology Commission, Maharashtra will deliver this year's National Science Day Lecture. Prof. V.S. Ramamurthy, Secretary, Dept. of Science & Technology, Govt. of India will preside over. An Exhibition on Science Communication would also be organized on this occasion.

Shri Anuj Sinha, Adviser & Head of the Parishad told that these awards were instituted in 1987 by the government with a view to encouraging and recognizing the efforts in the area of science popularization and were first announced on National Science Day in 1988. In addition, three new awards have been introduced from last year, i.e. National Award of Rupees 1,00,000/- for Outstanding Efforts in Translation of Popular Science and Technology Literature; National Award of Rupees 1,00,000/- for Outstanding Efforts in Science and Technology Communication in Print Medium; and National Award of Rupees 1,00,000/- for Outstanding Efforts in Science and Technology Communication in Electronic Medium. No award is being given for the last category this year. Shri Sinha also said that various science popularization activities, such as science exhibitions, quiz competitions, health awareness and science activity camps are being organized to mark the National Science Day thereby enhancing the level of public understanding of science and technology.

Source : Department of Science and Technology
Date : March 01, 2006