The Kalinga Prize for the Popularization of Science is an award given by UNESCO for exceptional skill in presenting scientific ideas to lay people. It was created in 1952, following a donation from Biju Patnaik, Founder President of the Kalinga Foundation Trust[1] in India.

Louis de Broglie, first recipient of the Kalinga Prize.

Background

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The recipient of this annual award must have demonstrated – during a brilliant career as writer, editor, lecturer, film producer, radio/television programme director or presenter – talent in interpreting science and technology for the public. The recipient should have striven to emphasize the international importance of science and technology and the contribution they make to improving public welfare, enriching the cultural heritage of nations, and solving problems facing humanity. Many past prize winners have been scientists, while others have been trained in journalism or have been educators or writers.

Each member state is entitled to nominate a single candidate, through its National Commission for UNESCO, on the recommendation of the national associations for the advancement of science or other science associations, or national associations of science writers or science journalists. Applications from individuals are not accepted.

The laureate is selected by the Director-General of UNESCO upon the recommendation of a four-member jury designated by him. Three members of the jury from different countries of the world are designated on the basis of equitable geographical distribution and the fourth on the recommendation of the Kalinga Foundation Trust.

The Kalinga Prize is awarded during the Celebration of the World Science Day in odd years (2003, 2005, etc.) and in New Delhi, India, in even years. Under the terms of the Prize, the recipient receives forty thousand dollars (US$40,000) and a UNESCO Albert Einstein Silver Medal. The recipient is also awarded the Ruchi Ram Sahni Chair, introduced by the Government of India in 2001 to mark the 50th anniversary of the Kalinga Prize. As holder of the Ruchi Ram Sahni Chair, the winner travels to India for a period of two to four weeks as the guest of the Government of India. The Chair also comprises a token honorarium of US$5,000. In the years when the award ceremony take place during the celebration of the World Science Day, the recipient travels to the city where the science day is being celebrated (2003 in Budapest) as the guest of UNESCO. In the years when it is awarded in New Delhi, the recipient is invited, as the guest of the Kalinga Foundation Trust, to undertake a brief lecture tour in India. For this reason, it is preferable that the recipient be proficient in English.

Each National Commission for UNESCO proposes a candidate only on the recommendation of the national associations for the advancement of science or other science associations, or national associations of science writers or scientific journalists.

The Kalinga Prize for the Popularization of Science is administered by the Science Analysis and Policies Division of UNESCO.

Kalinga Prize laureates

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Source: UNESCO

Year Recipient Country
1952 Louis de Broglie   France
1953 Julian Huxley   United Kingdom
1954 Waldemar Kaempffert   United States
1955 Augusto Pi Sunyer [es]   Venezuela
1956 George Gamow   United States
1957 Bertrand Russell   United Kingdom
1958 Karl von Frisch   Germany
1959 Jean Rostand   France
1960 Ritchie Calder   United Kingdom
1961 Arthur C. Clarke   United Kingdom
1962 Gerard Piel   United States
1963 Jagjit Singh   India
1964 Warren Weaver   United States
1965 Eugene Rabinowitch   United States
1966 Paul Couderc   France
1967 Fred Hoyle   United Kingdom
1968 Gavin de Beer   United Kingdom
1969 Konrad Lorenz   Austria
1970 Margaret Mead   United States
1971 Pierre Victor Auger   France
1972 Philip H. Abelson
Nigel Calder
  United States
  United Kingdom
1973 no award
1974 José Reis
Luis Estrada Martínez [es]
  Brazil
  Mexico
1975 no award
1976 George Porter
Alexander Oparin
  United Kingdom
  Soviet Union
1977 Fernand Seguin   Canada
1978 Hoimar von Ditfurth   Germany
1979 Sergei Kapitza   Soviet Union
1980 Arístides Bastidas   Venezuela
1981 David Attenborough
Dennis Flanagan
  United Kingdom
  United States
1982 Oswaldo Frota-Pessoa   Brazil
1983 Abdullah Al Muti Sharafuddin   Bangladesh
1984 Yves Coppens
Igor Petryanov [ru]
  France
  Soviet Union
1985 Peter Medawar   United Kingdom
1986 Nicolai G. Basov
David Suzuki
  Soviet Union
  Canada
1987 Marcel Roche   Venezuela
1988 Björn Kurtén   Finland
1989 Saad Ahmed Shabaan   Egypt
1990 Misbah-Ud-Din Shami   Pakistan
1991 Radu Iftimovici
Narender K. Sehgal
  Romania
  India
1992 Jorge Flores Valdés [es]
Peter Okebukola
  Mexico
  Nigeria
1993 Piero Angela   Italy
1994 Nikolai N. Drozdov   Russia
1995 Julieta Norma Fierro Gossman   Mexico
1996 Jiří Grygar
Jayant V. Narlikar
  Czech Republic
  India
1997 Dorairajan Balasubramanian   India
1998 Regina Paz Lopez
Ennio Candotti
  Philippines
  Brazil
1999 Marian Ewurama Addy
Emil Gabrielian
  Ghana
  Armenia
2000 Ernst W. Hamburger   Brazil
2001 Stefano Fantoni   Italy
2002 Marisela Salvatierra   Venezuela
2003 Pervez Hoodbhoy   Pakistan
2004 Jean Audouze   France
2005 Jeter Bertoletti [pt]   Brazil
2006–2008 No awards due to change of UNESCO rules
2009 Yash Pal
Trinh Xuan Thuan
  India
  Vietnam
2011 René Raúl Drucker Colín   Mexico
2013 Xiangyi Li   China
2015 Diego Golombek   Argentina
2017 Erik Jacquemyn[2]   Belgium
2019 Karl Kruszelnicki[3]   Australia
2021 Jean-Pierre Luminet[4]   France
2023 Ana María Cetto[5]   Mexico

Statistics

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By 2021 the prize had been awarded to 71 people from 26 countries:

Country No. of Awards
United Kingdom 10 times
USA 8 times
France 7 times
India 5 times
Russia (inc. Soviet Union) 5 times
Brazil
Venezuela 4 times
Mexico
Pakistan 2 times
Germany
Italy
Canada
Argentina 1 time
Armenia
Australia
Austria
Bangladesh
Belgium
China
Czech Republic
Finland
Egypt
Ghana
Romania
Nigeria
Philippines
Vietnam

Kalinga Samman

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From 2010, the Kalinga Foundation Trust instituted a state level prize under the name Kalinga Samman for Popularization of Science. The award will be presented annually to an eminent scientist and science litterateur from the state of Odisha for outstanding contribution for popularization of science among the public.[6][7]

Kalinga Samman laureates

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Source: Kalinga Samman

Year Recipient
2010 Chitta Ranjan Mishra
Pramod Kumar Mohapatra
2011 Gokulananda Mahapatra
2012 Basanta Kumar Behura
2013 Hara Prasanna Mishra
2014 Trilochan Pradhan
2015 Prafulla Kumar Jena
2016 Dwijesh Kumar Panda
2017 Jnanadeva Maharana
2018 Birendra Kishore Das
2019 Nimai Charan Panda

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Kalinga Foundation Trust". kalingafoundationtrust.com. Retrieved August 28, 2010.
  2. ^ "Belgian scientist Erik Jacquemyn to receive UNESCO Kalinga Prize for the Popularization of Science". UNESCO. October 25, 2017. Retrieved July 4, 2018.
  3. ^ Ryan, Claudine (November 20, 2019). "Dr Karl wins UNESCO prize for turning generations on to science". ABC News. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
  4. ^ "French astrophysicist and cosmologist Jean-Pierre Luminet to receive UNESCO Kalinga Prize for the Popularization of Science". April 11, 2021. Archived from the original on November 8, 2021. Retrieved December 1, 2023.
  5. ^ "Ana María Cetto's dedication to science outreach earns her UNESCO–Kalinga Prize". UNESCO. November 9, 2023. Retrieved December 1, 2023.
  6. ^ "Kalinga Samman". Kalinga Foundation Trust. Retrieved September 29, 2022.
  7. ^ "Kalinga Samman awarded". The Telegraph. Retrieved September 30, 2022.
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