Three professors from the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) have received the Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar 2025. The Government of India announced these awards. Professor Thalappil Pradeep, Professor Mohanasankar Sivaprakasam, and Professor Shweta Prem Agrawal were honored for their scientific and technological achievements.
The Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar stands as India’s highest civilian recognition for scientists, technologists, and innovators. It acknowledges distinguished contributions across science, technology, and technology-driven innovation. The award scheme aims to strengthen India’s scientific and technological capabilities.
Award Categories and Scope
The Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar includes four main categories:
- Vigyan Ratna (VR): Honors lifetime achievements and outstanding contributions to a scientific field.
- Vigyan Shri (VS): Recognizes distinguished contributions to a specific area of science or technology.
- Vigyan Yuva – Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar (VY-SSB): Acknowledges exceptional talent and contributions by young scientists.
- Vigyan Team (VT): Celebrates the collaborative work of a team of three or more scientists, technologists, or innovators.
These awards cover 13 critical fields. These fields are Physics, Chemistry, Biological Sciences, Mathematics & Computer Science, Earth Science, Medicine, Engineering Sciences, Agricultural Science, Environmental Science, Technology & Innovation, Atomic Energy, Space Science & Technology, and Allied Science.
IIT Madras Awardees Recognized
Professor Thalappil Pradeep, from the Department of Chemistry at IIT Madras, received the Vigyan Shri Puraskar . His award recognizes his distinguished contributions to Chemistry.
Professor Mohanasankar Sivaprakasam received the Vigyan Yuva – Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Puraskar . He is from the Department of Electrical Engineering and was honored for his work in Technology & Innovation.
Professor Shweta Prem Agrawal, from the Department of Computer Science and Engineering, also received the Vigyan Yuva – Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Puraskar . Her recognition is for her contributions in Mathematics & Computer Science.
V Kamakoti, Director of IIT Madras, commented on the accolades. "These awards reflect the individual excellence of our colleagues. Their achievements underscore IIT Madras’s ongoing commitment to national scientific and technological advancement," Kamakoti stated.
Complete List of Awardees
The Government of India has published the full list of all Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar 2025 recipients. The table below details all awardees by category, name, and recognized field:
| Category | Name | Field |
|---|---|---|
| VIGYAN RATNA (VR) | Prof. Jayant Vishnu Narlikar (Posthumous) | Physics (Astrophysics & Cosmology) |
| VIGYAN SHRI (VS) | Dr. Gyanendra Pratap Singh | Agricultural Science |
| VIGYAN SHRI (VS) | Dr. Yusuf Mohammad Seikh | Atomic Energy |
| VIGYAN SHRI (VS) | Dr. K. Thangaraj | Biological Sciences |
| VIGYAN SHRI (VS) | Prof. Thalappil Pradeep | Chemistry |
| VIGYAN SHRI (VS) | Prof. Aniruddha Bhalchandra Pandit | Engineering Sciences |
| VIGYAN SHRI (VS) | Dr. S. Venkata Mohan | Environmental Science |
| VIGYAN SHRI (VS) | Prof. Mahan Mj | Mathematics & Computer Science |
| VIGYAN SHRI (VS) | Shri Jayan N | Space Science & Technology |
| VIGYAN YUVA – SHANTI SWARUP BHATNAGAR (VY-SSB) | Dr. Jagdis Gupta Kapuganti | Agricultural Science |
| VIGYAN YUVA – SHANTI SWARUP BHATNAGAR (VY-SSB) | Dr. Satendra Kumar Mangrauthia | Agricultural Science |
| VIGYAN YUVA – SHANTI SWARUP BHATNAGAR (VY-SSB) | Dr. Debarka Sengupta | Biological Sciences |
| VIGYAN YUVA – SHANTI SWARUP BHATNAGAR (VY-SSB) | Dr. Deepa Agashe | Biological Sciences |
| VIGYAN YUVA – SHANTI SWARUP BHATNAGAR (VY-SSB) | Dr. Dibyendu Das | Chemistry |
| VIGYAN YUVA – SHANTI SWARUP BHATNAGAR (VY-SSB) | Dr. Waliur Rahaman | Earth Science |
| VIGYAN YUVA – SHANTI SWARUP BHATNAGAR (VY-SSB) | Prof. Arkaprava Basu | Engineering Sciences |
| VIGYAN YUVA – SHANTI SWARUP BHATNAGAR (VY-SSB) | Prof. Sabyasachi Mukherjee | Mathematics & Computer Science |
| VIGYAN YUVA – SHANTI SWARUP BHATNAGAR (VY-SSB) | Prof. Shweta Prem Agrawal | Mathematics & Computer Science |
| VIGYAN YUVA – SHANTI SWARUP BHATNAGAR (VY-SSB) | Dr. Suresh Kumar | Medicine |
| VIGYAN YUVA – SHANTI SWARUP BHATNAGAR (VY-SSB) | Prof. Amit Kumar Agarwal | Physics |
| VIGYAN YUVA – SHANTI SWARUP BHATNAGAR (VY-SSB) | Prof. Surhud Shrikant More | Physics |
| VIGYAN YUVA – SHANTI SWARUP BHATNAGAR (VY-SSB) | Shri Ankur Garg | Space Science & Technology |
| VIGYAN YUVA – SHANTI SWARUP BHATNAGAR (VY-SSB) | Prof. Mohanasankar Sivaprakasam | Technology & Innovation |
| VIGYAN TEAM (VT) | Team – Aroma Mission CSIR | Agricultural Science (Team Award) |