Vikram Sarabhai Journalism Award in Space Science, Technology and Research

To mark the centenary year celebrations of the birth of Dr. Vikram Sarabhai, the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) has decided to institute two awards in the field of journalism. These awards will be called the ?Vikram Sarabhai Journalism Award in Space Science, Technology and Research?.

Who was Vikram Sarabhai?

• Vikram Ambalal Sarabhai was one of India’s foremost space scientists and avionics innovator.
• He is widely considered to be the father of India’s space program and played a key role in the formation of the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO).
• While his primary area of research was astrophysics, he was the person who started the project for the fabrication, testing and launch of an indigenous Indian satellite.
• It was due to his efforts that the first Indian space satellite, the Aryabhata, was put in orbit in 1975 from a Russian cosmodrome.
• For his efforts, Sarabhai was awarded the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Medal in 1962, the Padma Bhushan in 1966 and Padma Vibhushan (after his unfortunate death at the age of 52) in 1972.

What is the award?

• The ?Vikram Sarabhai Journalism Award in Space Science, Technology and Research? is an effort by the ISRO to identify and award journalists who play an active role in their contributions towards the field of space science, applications, and research by their work.
• The nominations for the awards are open to all Indians.
• For consideration in this current award year, the articles must be published between the years 2019 to 2020.
• The awards will have a cash prize in the descending order of Rs 3 lakh, 2 lakh and 1 lakh and a citation.