The Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize for Science and Technology is the most prestigious award given to scientists in India. The prize is awarded by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) to distinguished scientists for outstanding contribution to Indian science and technology.
The award was named after the great Indian scientist and the first Director of the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research, Dr. Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar. It was instituted in 1958.
The prize is awarded to Indian citizens engaged in any field of science and technology, specifically, to exceptional research, applied and fundamental in chemistry, physics, biology, environmental science, engineering, mathematics and medicine. The recipients of the award must be under 45 years of age.
The prize carries a cash award of Rs. 5 lakh. The recipients of the prize also get a monthly stipend of Rs. 15,000/month up to the age of 65. They also receive a citation and a plaque.
The name of the eligible candidates for the prize are proposed by a governing body comprising of Vice-Chancellors of universities and other important institutions, deans of the various faculties of science and by members of the CSIR.
The final selection is made by an Advisory Committee, which consists of 6 experts from various scientific disciplines, including one former winner of the award. The award is conferred in the following 7 disciplines:
- Engineering Sciences
- Physical Sciences
- Biological Sciences
- Chemical Sciences
- Mathematical Sciences
- Earth, Atmosphere, Ocean and Planetary Sciences
- Medical Sciences
Each of the disciplines listed above can have a maximum of two winners.