Regulations Governing the Award of the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize
For Science and Technology
Preamble
- The award is named after the founder Director of the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR), the late Dr (Sir) Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar and is known as the ‘Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar (SSB) Prize for Science and Technology’.
- The Prize is given each year for outstanding contributions to science and technology.
Nature of the Prize
- SSB Prizes, each of the value of Rs 5,00,000 (Rupees five lakh only), are awarded annually for notable and outstanding research, applied or fundamental, in the following disciplines: (1)
Biological, (2) Chemical, (3) Earth, Atmosphere, Ocean and Planetary, (4) Engineering, (5) Mathematical, (6) Medical, and (7) Physical Sciences.
Purpose
- Recognition of outstanding Indian work in science and technology.
Eligibility
- Any citizen of India engaged in research in any field of science and technology up to the age of 45 years as reckoned on 31st December of the year preceding the year of the Prize.Overseas citizen of India (OCI) and Persons of Indian Origin (PIO) working in India are also eligible.
- The Prize is bestowed on a person who, in the opinion of CSIR, has made conspicuously important and outstanding contributions to human knowledge and progress – fundamental and applied – in the particular field of endeavour, which is his/her specialization.
- The Prize is awarded on the basis of contributions made through work done primarily in India during the five years preceding the year of the Prize. (For this purpose ‘primarily’ will mean ‘for the most part’)
Award of the Prize
- In awarding the Prize, the Governing Body of CSIR is guided by the recommendations of the Advisory Committees constituted under clause 10.
Nominations
- Names of candidates may be proposed by a member of the Governing Body of CSIR; Presidents of academies of all-India character; Vice Chancellors of Indian Universities; deemed Universities and Institutions of national importance; Deans of Science, Engineering, Medical, Agriculture, and Technology Faculties; Directors of the Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT); Directors General of the major R&D Organizations, such as the Defence Research & Development Organization, the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, the Indian Council of Medical Research, India Meteorological Department; Chairmen of Atomic Energy Commission, Oil & Natural Gas Corporation, etc.; Directors of CSIR Laboratories/ Institutes, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Physical Research Laboratory, Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science, etc.; Secretaries of the Government Science Departments like the Department of Atomic Energy, the Department of Biotechnology, the Department of Environment, the Department of Information Technology, the Department of Ocean Development, the Department of Science and Technology, the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, the Department of Space; etc., Member in-charge (Science) in the Planning Commission; and the former Bhatnagar Prize Awardees.
University Faculties should recommend scientists working in their institutions only and route nominations through their respective Vice Chancellors, while the Faculties in IITs are required to send their nominations through their Directors. The Directors General of the R&D Organizations and the Chairmen of Commissions may sponsor names of scientists working in their respective organizations. The Directors of CSIR laboratories/ institutes can nominate candidates in disciplines of their interest irrespective of the fact whether they are working in CSIR laboratories/ institutes or outside. The recipient of a Bhatnagar Prize can send nomination of one person only for each year’s award. Nominations from other individuals sponsoring their own names or of others are not acceptable. Each nomination, as per the prescribed pro-forma, should be accompanied by a detailed statement of work and attainments of the nominee and a critical assessment report (not more than 500 words) bringing out the importance of significant research and development contributions of the nominee made during the five years preceding the year of the Prize. Nominations not made as per prescribed format are unacceptable.
A candidate once nominated would be considered for a total period of three years, if age-wise eligible. Once such a nomination has been received, CSIR may correspond directly with the nominator for supplementary information, if necessary. In case a nominee has resigned from his present position in India and has gone abroad, his nomination would become invalid immediately.
Advisory Committees
- The Advisory Committees for each year’s award are constituted with the approval of the Chairman of the Governing body of CSIR. The Committees consist of at least six experts including at least one former Bhatnagar Awardee in the respective discipline. On receipt of nominations for a particular year, CSIR circulates the list of nominees along with the detailed statement of work and attainments of each candidate to all members of the Advisory Committee related to the concerned discipline. CSIR convenes meetings of the various Advisory Committees in consultation with the Chairmen, for selecting the recipients of the SSB Prizes. The compositions of various Committees, the information submitted for their scrutiny, the proceedings of the meetings and the procedure for consideration of the nominations, other than as detailed herein, are kept confidential.
- Where the recommendation for the Prize is unanimous or not less than 2/3rd of the members of the Advisory Committee have agreed to one name (or maximum of two names in case they are judged to be of equivalent merit), the recommendations are submitted to CSIR for approval.
- The award of the Prize in a specific discipline may be withheld by CSIR in any year, if, in the opinion of the Advisory Committee, no sufficiently meritorious candidate is found suitable in that year.
Presentation
- The names of the recipients are made public on 26 September, the CSIR Foundation Day by the Director General, CSIR.
- The Prizes are awarded at a formal presentation ceremony arranged by CSIR. At the ceremony, a suitable citation on work of the recipient of the Prize is read out.
- The SSB Awardee should give a lecture in the area of the award, especially in a small college or a CSIR laboratory preferably away from the Awardee’s city for dissemination of science. HRDG can help by providing TA/DA for this.
- In all matters of award of SSB Prizes, the decision of CSIR shall be final.
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