ASI Govind Swarup Lifetime Achievement award

1. About the award

The ASI Govind Swarup Lifetime Achievement award for Astronomy and Astrophysics has been instituted by ASI and is awarded to senior scientists of eminence once in two years for notable and important contributions to the areas of Astronomy and Astrophysics in the country.

Prof. Govind Swarup, FRS, widely regarded as the father of Indian radio astronomy, conceived of and led the construction of the Ooty Radio Telescope (ORT) and the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT) using innovative, cost-effective ideas optimized for the Indian environment. He was a visionary and one of the strongest early proponents of the Square Kilometre Array (SKA). The framework for science education institutes which he developed and proposed, along with Prof. V. G. Bhide has come to fruition in the form of Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research (IISERs) which have now been established across the country.

An Honorary Fellow at the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) and Founder Director of the National Centre for Radio Astrophysics (NCRA-TIFR) and GMRT, he was the recipient of many prestigious national and international awards and honours in his lifetime. Govind Swarup’s lasting legacy is the thriving Indian radio astronomy community equipped with one of the most powerful radio telescopes in the world.

The award was instituted to recognize senior scientists of eminence once in two years for their notable and important contributions to the areas of Astronomy and Astrophysics in the country. The award carries a cash prize of Rs 1,50,000/- (Rupees One Lakh and fifty thousand), funded by his family, Bina Swarup, Anju and Rajiv Basu, and Vipin Swarup, as well as a plaque, and a citation. Support for the recipient's travel (within India) to the venue of the meeting and full local hospitality during the period of the meeting will be provided by the Society.

2. Nomination Criteria

The nominees will be scientists who contributed significantly to the growth of astronomy and astrophysics in India. The contributions may be in the form of basic research, teaching, and training of human resources, the establishment of observational facilities and development of astronomical instruments, the development of sophisticated software, data science, and book writing. The nominee must have an Indian affiliation for the bulk of the work done and be 60 years of age or above.  The award will not be given posthumously unless the passing away occurs after the process has begun. The nomination once made will remain valid for the next cycle of the award. In case there is any update in the profile of the nominee, the nominator is invited to share the updated profile during the call for awards in the next award cycle.

3. Application

All nominations for the award must be received by the ASI, by the deadline as indicated on the website of the ASI. Nominations must be submitted via the online interface on the ASI website. Nominations can be made by the Heads of Institutions and other eminent scientists. A nominator can submit only a single application for the award.

For the award year 2024, the nominations for the award must be received by 18th Nov 2024. The nominee must be 60 years of age or above as on 31 Dec 2024. The date of birth of the nominee should be on or before 31st Dec 1964.

Nominations must include the following material:

1. Name of Nominee
2. Details of Nominee
   
   1. Affiliation
   2. Address
   3. email id
   4. Mobile phone number
   5. Date of Birth
3. Nomination letter with signature and date
4. A statement clearly outlining the merits of the work of the nominee
5. A short biography and CV of the nominee, including a full list of publications
6. A list of the 10 most  important  publications
7. Links of 5 most important publications
8. A short summary not exceeding 300 words highlighting the most important contributions of the nominee
9. Details of Proposer
   
   1. Name
   2. Designation and Affiliation (If retired, then details at the time of retirement)
   3. Address for correspondence
   4. Email id
   5. Phone number

Online form for application

4. Selection Process

A five-member Award Selection Committee (ASC)  will be constituted by the ASI ensuring technical and gender representation. The ASC will be chaired by one of the following persons, ASI - President / Vice-President / Past President. Each member of the ASC will receive all nominations along with the supporting material. The ASC will communicate the result of its deliberations to the ASI council within three months following the submission deadline.

5. Announcement of the Award

The successful nominee will be informed of the decision of the ASI council and be asked to receive the award during the following ASI meeting.