SSC
The Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize for Science and Technology is presented by:
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Answer: Option B — Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)
Detailed Solution
The Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize for Science and Technology was instituted and presented by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR).
About the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize:
- It was instituted in 1957 and first awarded in 1958.
- It was one of the most prestigious science awards in India.
It was given every year to Indian scientists below the age of 45 for outstanding research in seven fields: biological sciences, chemical sciences, earth, atmosphere, ocean and planetary sciences, engineering sciences, mathematical sciences, medical sciences and physical sciences.
Each winner received a citation, a plaque and a cash prize of 5 lakh rupees.
In 2023, the Government of India reorganised national science awards and created the "Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar" (National Science Awards), given by the Ministry of Science and Technology. They have four categories: Vigyan Ratna (lifetime achievement), Vigyan Shri, Vigyan Yuva-Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar (for young scientists up to 45 years) and Vigyan Team. The first awards were announced in 2024.
About Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar (1894-1955):
- He was born on 21 February 1894 in Bhera, in Punjab (now in Pakistan).
- He was a chemist known for his work on colloids and magneto-chemistry.
- He was the first Director-General of the CSIR and is called the "Father of Research Laboratories" in India, because he helped set up 12 national laboratories.
- He was the first Chairman of the University Grants Commission (UGC) in 1953.
- He wrote the "Kulgeet" (university song) of Banaras Hindu University.
- He received the Padma Bhushan in 1954.
About the CSIR:
- It was set up in September 1942 as an autonomous body.
- Its President is the Prime Minister of India.
- Its headquarters is in New Delhi.
- It runs about 37 national laboratories, including the National Physical Laboratory (New Delhi), the National Chemical Laboratory (Pune) and the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (Hyderabad).
In 2022, N. Kalaiselvi became the first woman Director-General of the CSIR.
Why not the other options?
- ✗The DST now gives the Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar through the Ministry of Science and Technology.
- ✗INSA gives its own medals, such as the INSA Medal for Young Scientists.
- ✗Good to know
- ✗The UGC funds universities and research in higher education.
Quick tip
Remember: Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize = CSIR (since 1958; scientists under 45; seven fields); Bhatnagar = first DG of CSIR, first UGC chairman; replaced in 2023 by the Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar (Vigyan Ratna, Shri, Yuva, Team).
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Awards & Honours — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of Awards & Honours, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
This topic covers national and international awards: Bharat Ratna and the Padma awards, gallantry awards, the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, Jnanpith and Sahitya Akademi awards, sports awards, Nobel Prizes, the Ramon Magsaysay Award and other global honours, along with the fields they recognise and notable winners. Static questions ask about the field each award is given for, the year it started, and the first winners. For example, the Jnanpith Award is for literature and the Dadasaheb Phalke Award is for cinema. Questions on recent winners change every year, so revise those from the latest announcements and treat older winner lists as background only. Practise the awards and honours questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.