The Government of India (GOI) has opened nominations for the Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar (RVP) 2026, a national initiative to recognise outstanding contributions in science, technology and innovation. The awards are administered by the RVP Secretariat at the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) under the Ministry of Science and Technology. The scheme aims to highlight work that has advanced India's scientific landscape and contributed to national development.

Nominations, including self-nominations, are invited across a broad array of fields and the portal will accept entries in 14 domains such as Agricultural Science, Atomic Energy, Biological Sciences, Chemistry, Defence Technology, Earth Science, Engineering Sciences, Environmental Science, Mathematics and Computer Science, Medicine, Physics, Space Science and Technology, Technology and Innovation and other relevant areas. The ministry has encouraged academic institutions, research organisations, industry bodies and individuals to participate actively to ensure wide recognition of scientific talent. The RVP seeks to identify work that demonstrates both scientific rigour and societal impact.

The awards will be conferred in four distinct categories: Vigyan Ratna for lifetime achievement, Vigyan Shri for distinguished contributions, Vigyan Yuva Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar to encourage young scientists up to 45 years of age and Vigyan Team for collaborative excellence among groups of three or more researchers. The categorisation is intended to recognise achievement across career stages and collaborative endeavours. The emphasis on teams aims to acknowledge interdisciplinary and collective efforts that address complex problems.

Nominations are open online via the Ministry of Home Affairs Awards Portal from 28 March 2026 to 11 May 2026 and the RVP Secretariat at CSIR-HRDG, New Delhi will provide detailed guidelines. The Union Minister of State with independent charge for Science and Technology conveyed that the awards reflect the government’s commitment to fostering a culture of excellence and innovation and urged stakeholders to nominate deserving candidates. The ministry stated that the inclusion of self-nomination and a more transparent selection process is intended to bring deserving talent from across the country to the forefront.