National Research Professorship

National Research Professorship
Name	National Research Professorship
Presenter	President of India; Ministry of Education; Indian Council of Historical Research
Country	India
Established	1970s
Type	Honorific research chair
Eligibility	Distinguished scholars and researchers

National Research Professorship

The National Research Professorship is an honorific research appointment instituted to recognize eminent scholars and researchers across India with contributions to science and the humanities. It confers a titled position for senior academics from institutions such as the Indian Institute of Science, University of Delhi, Jawaharlal Nehru University, and Tata Institute of Fundamental Research. Recipients have often been associated with bodies like the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, Indian Council of Medical Research, Indian Council of Agricultural Research, and major universities including Banaras Hindu University and University of Calcutta.

Overview

The Professorship spotlights individuals whose careers intersect with institutions such as Indian Statistical Institute, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, University of Mumbai, and University of Madras as well as national labs like Bhabha Atomic Research Centre and National Chemical Laboratory. Awardees frequently include fellows of the Indian National Science Academy, Indian Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Sciences, India, and foreign or regional bodies such as the Royal Society, American Academy of Arts and Sciences, Academy of Sciences of the USSR, and the Royal Society of London. Past holders have sometimes been recipients of other honors like the Bharat Ratna, Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan, Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize, Gandhi Peace Prize, and international awards including the Nobel Prize and Fields Medal.

History and Establishment

The Professorship was conceptualized during policy debates involving figures from Planning Commission (India), policymakers influenced by reports from committees chaired by academicians associated with Indian National Commission for Cooperation with UNESCO and commissions linked to Ministry of Education. Early iterations drew on precedents from chairs at University of Cambridge, University of Oxford, Harvard University, and the Max Planck Society. Prominent personalities involved in establishment discussions included academics from Banaras Hindu University, Aligarh Muslim University, Jadavpur University, and administrators from the University Grants Commission (India). Legislative and budgetary oversight involved committees with members from Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha and consultations with the Planning Commission and national academies.

Eligibility and Selection Process

Eligibility commonly requires a distinguished record at institutions like Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, IIT Roorkee, JNU, IISc Bangalore, and major research hospitals including Christian Medical College, Vellore. Selection panels have included representatives of the Indian Council of Social Science Research, Indian Council of Historical Research, Indian Council of Philosophical Research, and academies: Indian National Science Academy, Indian Academy of Sciences, and National Academy of Sciences, India. Committees have featured emeritus professors from University of Calcutta, laureates such as holders of the Bharat Ratna and awardees of the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize, alongside international referees from Princeton University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford University, Cambridge, and Oxford. The appointment process often involves nomination, peer review, and endorsement by central ministries and university senates such as those at University of Hyderabad and Pondicherry University.

Responsibilities and Duties

Holders are expected to pursue advanced research affiliated with host institutions like Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Pune, and National Institute of Immunology. Duties include mentoring scholars associated with University of Calcutta, supervising doctoral candidates registered with bodies like the University Grants Commission (India), delivering lectures at forums such as the Indian Science Congress, participating in national policy consultations with ministries including Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, and contributing to reports for organizations like Planning Commission and NITI Aayog.

Benefits and Funding

Funding for the Professorship has been administered through grants involving University Grants Commission (India), central ministries including the Ministry of Education (India), and occasionally endowed by foundations related to Tata Trusts, Sahitya Akademi, Indian Council for Cultural Relations, and philanthropic bodies like the Gandhi Smriti and Darshan Samiti. Benefits often include a stipend, research grant, office and laboratory space at hosts such as Indian Institute of Science, travel allowances for conferences at venues like Indian Science Congress and funding for collaborative projects with institutions including Indian Space Research Organisation and Council of Scientific and Industrial Research laboratories.

Notable National Research Professors

Recipients have included eminent figures associated with major institutions and awards: scientists from Indian Institute of Science and Tata Institute of Fundamental Research who also held Bharat Ratna or Padma Vibhushan; historians linked to Jawaharlal Nehru University, Banaras Hindu University, Aligarh Muslim University and awardees of the Sahitya Akademi Award; economists who served at University of Calcutta, Delhi School of Economics, Reserve Bank of India, and received honors like the Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam Award; and literary scholars tied to Sahitya Akademi, National School of Drama, and universities such as Jadavpur University. Many collaborated internationally with institutions like Harvard University, Yale University, Columbia University, Princeton University, University of Chicago, University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, Max Planck Society, and the European Research Council.

Impact and Criticism

The Professorship has influenced research culture at hosts like IISc Bangalore, IIT Madras, TIFR, and contributed to policy via inputs to NITI Aayog and Planning Commission reports. Critics from academic bodies including University Grants Commission (India), scholars from Jawaharlal Nehru University and commentators in outlets associated with Press Trust of India and The Hindu have raised concerns about selection transparency, concentration of funds in metropolitan institutions such as University of Delhi and IISc, and overlaps with other honors like the Bharat Ratna and Padma Awards. Defenders cite long-term research outputs at labs like Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, and policy contributions to ministries including Ministry of Science and Technology.

Category:Academic awards in India