President Murmu Gives Away First-Ever Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar

Current Context: President Droupadi Murmu recently presented the first-ever Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar on August 22, 2024.

• This new award aims to recognize and celebrate the extraordinary achievements of Indian scientists in various fields of science and technology.
• In this inaugural edition, 33 awards were given across four categories:
• Vigyan Ratna: For lifetime contributions in science and technology. This year, it was awarded to Prof. Govindarajan Padmanabhan for his pioneering work in molecular biology and biotechnology.
• Vigyan Shri: For distinguished contributions in science and technology, awarded to 13 scientists.
• Vigyan Yuva: For exceptional contributions by young scientists, awarded to 18 scientists.
• Vigyan Team: For groundbreaking research by a team, awarded to the Chandrayaan-3 team for their successful lunar mission.

Question:

1 Who received the Vigyan Ratna award during the inaugural Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar in 2024?

• A) Prof. Govindarajan Padmanabhan
• B) Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
• C) Dr. K. Sivan
• D) Dr. Raghunath Mashelkar

Answer: A) Prof. Govindarajan Padmanabhan was honored with the Vigyan Ratna award for his lifetime contributions in molecular biology and biotechnology.