Published on October 29 , 2025
Delhi, India
The Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar, India’s premier national science awards instituted by the Government of India, celebrates outstanding contributions in science, technology, and innovation. Announced on October 28, 2025, the awards recognize lifetime achievements, mid-career excellence, and emerging talents across categories like Vigyan Ratna, Vigyan Shri, and Vigyan Yuva-Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar.
- Total Awardees: 24 individuals and teams, including a posthumous Vigyan Ratna to cosmology pioneer Jayant V. Narlikar.
- Categories Highlighted: Vigyan Shri for distinguished mid-career scientists; Vigyan Yuva-Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar for innovators under 45.
- Ceremony Details: Awards to be presented by the President of India on National Science Day, March 1, 2026, at Rashtrapati Bhavan.
- Significance: Emphasizes practical, societal impact, aligning with India’s vision for self-reliant innovation in STEM fields.
This year’s honors spotlight IIT Madras as a leader, with three professors earning accolades for transformative research addressing global challenges.
IIT Madras’s Triple Triumph: The Award-Winning Professors
IIT Madras, renowned as one of India’s top engineering institutes, has emerged as a powerhouse in national science awards 2025. The institute’s Director, Prof. V. Kamakoti, hailed the wins as a reflection of “our collective pursuit of innovation for national development,” underscoring the role of academic research in real-world solutions.
- Institution’s Legacy: IIT Madras has consistently produced awardees, reinforcing its status in Indian STEM excellence and fostering collaborations for scalable technologies.
- Impact Scope: These recognitions highlight advancements in sustainable water solutions, affordable healthcare, and robust digital security—key pillars for a resilient India.
Prof. Thalappil Pradeep: Championing Clean Water Innovations
Prof. Thalappil Pradeep, from the Department of Chemistry at IIT Madras, clinched the Vigyan Shri Award for his pioneering work in nanotechnology-driven water purification.
- Key Contributions: Developed low-cost, portable filters using silver nanoparticles that eliminate pathogens without chemicals or electricity, reaching over a billion people globally.
- Broader Impact: His technologies have been deployed in rural India and disaster-prone areas, reducing waterborne diseases and promoting sustainable access to safe drinking water.
- Previous Honors: A Padma Shri recipient, Pradeep’s research exemplifies how chemistry can address environmental crises affordably.
- Personal Insight: “Science must bridge the gap between labs and lives,” emphasizing scalable, eco-friendly solutions for underserved communities.
Prof. Mohanasankar Sivaprakasam: Transforming Healthcare Accessibility
Prof. Mohanasankar Sivaprakasam, Head of the Department of Electrical Engineering, received the Vigyan Yuva-Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize for his leadership in biomedical engineering and AI-integrated health devices.
- Key Contributions: Founded the Healthcare Technology Innovation Centre and Sudha Gopalakrishnan Brain Centre, creating cost-effective brain imaging tools and diagnostic systems.
- Broader Impact: Innovations have benefited 15 million patients, particularly in remote areas, by enabling early detection of neurological disorders through portable MRI and AI therapies.
- Technological Edge: Focuses on frugal engineering to make high-end medical tech accessible, cutting costs by up to 90% compared to global standards.
- Personal Insight: “This award validates the potential of Indian R&D to deliver world-class, inclusive health solutions,” inspiring a new era of tech-driven medicine.
Prof. Shweta Prem Agrawal: Safeguarding the Digital Frontier
Prof. Shweta Prem Agrawal, from the Department of Computer Science and Engineering, also secured the Vigyan Yuva-Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize for her expertise in post-quantum cryptography.
- Key Contributions: Designed advanced encryption algorithms resistant to quantum computing threats, protecting sensitive data in finance, defense, and communications.
- Broader Impact: Her lattice-based cryptosystems ensure long-term security in an era of evolving cyber risks, influencing national standards for digital infrastructure.
- Research Focus: Integrates mathematics and machine learning to develop efficient, scalable defenses against future hacking paradigms.
- Personal Insight: “This recognition highlights the thrill of foundational research and will motivate young minds to explore cryptography’s vital role in secure societies.”
The Broader Implications: Fueling India’s Innovation Ecosystem
These Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar 2025 wins for IIT Madras professors signal a surge in Indian science achievements, blending academic rigor with societal benefits.
- National Boost: Enhances funding and collaborations, positioning India as a global hub for clean tech, health innovations, and cybersecurity.
- Inspirational Ripple: Encourages student engagement in STEM, with IIT Madras’s model of translational research setting benchmarks for other institutions.
- Future Outlook: As quantum threats and health disparities grow, these breakthroughs promise equitable progress, aligning with Sustainable Development Goals.
IIT Madras’s feat not only celebrates individual brilliance but also reaffirms the institute’s commitment to “shaping technology, empowering lives.” Stay inspired—these innovators are just getting started.
