AP CM makes a stunning offer, announces 100 crore reward

The Prime Minister inaugurated the five day annual 104^th session of the Indian Science Congress (ISC) at the sprawling campus of Sri Venkateswara University, Tirupati. Eminent scientists, Nobel laureates, former Indian Science Congress Association (ISCA) presidents, industry leaders, policy makers, innovators, academicians and thousands of national and international delegates have been taking part in it. During the inaugural function of Indian Children’s Science Congress at Sri Padmavathi Women’s University at Tirupati on the sidelines of the sessions of the ISC, AP CM Chandrababu Naidu made an astonishing announcement of rewarding any Nobel prize winner from Andhra Rs 100 crore.

The reward is the highest in the world, surpassing The Fundamental Physics Prize, which is 3 million dollars (approx 20.5 crore rupees). Interestingly, Babu’s reward is about 17 times to the prize money awarded by the Nobel committee, which is about Rs 6 crore. No other state government, not even the central government has made such an offer so far. Moreover, this is the second time that the AP CM has made such a grand announcement, earlier he announced Rs 10 crore reward for the same achievement.

“Small inventions will lead to great discoveries,” said Mr Naidu, “I want the young scientists to take it as a challenge. I am not bothered how you get it. It depends on how hard you work and how much research you would do. I am announcing the cash incentive to inspire you. And you have to strive hard to win the Nobel Prize and bring glory to India.” He also stated that there were very few Nobel Laureates from India but there was a lot of potential in India’s youth to win the Nobel Prize and bring glory to the country.

The 2015 Nobel Prize for Physics winner Prof Takaaki Kajita of Japan attended the session and was grandly felicitated by the CM Chandrababu Naidu.