Express View on science awards: Withholding laurels

Every year, on September 26, the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) observes its Foundation Day by recognising the work of scientists below the age of 45. The announcement of the award, instituted in the name of the Council’s founder-director, Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar, has been a keenly awaited event in the scientific community’s calendar since 1958. But last year, the CSIR’s Foundation Day went by without this centrepiece event — the list of awardees was, reportedly, decided but not announced.

A day later, Science and Technology Minister Jitendra Singh said that the government had decided to “withhold” the Bhatnagar awards as a part of a “rationalisation” endeavour. This year, too, there is no sign that the CSIR is drawing up a list of Bhatnagar laureates — the government is reportedly working on a “new structure of science awards”. It is, of course, well within its remit to redesign the criteria for recognising talent. But why constrict CSIR’s autonomy and deprive mid-career scholars — many of whom may have resisted the temptation to work overseas — of the public recognition that, by all accounts, has spurred many young minds to become more creative and take on difficult challenges?

The list of Bhatnagar awardees comprises some of the pioneering figures of Indian science — Vikram Sarabhai, Madhav Gadgil, R A Mashelkar, Ashis Dutta, Ashok Jhunjhunwala, Raja Ramana, Jayant Narlikar, Homi Sethna and C N R Rao. Of course, recognising talent early is fraught with subjectivity and there is scope for reform in selection processes. But putting the prestigious award on hold without a convincing explanation does more harm than good. Research involves painstaking work that can stretch over years, even decades. A researcher has to regularly contend with funding delays and vexing bureaucratic interference. The uncertainty over the Bhatnagar awards will be dispiriting to those who work under such conditions, especially because, last year, the government discontinued nearly 300 awards and fellowships. Such disincentives could result in the country losing out on promising talent.

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The government has repeatedly underlined its desire to make India a force to reckon with in the knowledge economy and arrest brain drain. Last year, while inaugurating the first Centre-state science conclave, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the “country has not celebrated the work of scientists as much as it should have done”. The government’s attitude towards the premier award for young scientists does great disservice to the PM’s vision. It should announce a list of Bhatnagar laureates this year.