Nobel Prize is the prestigious prize of around ₹8.76 crore INR. which is given for exceptional contributions in the field of Physics, Chemistry, Medicine or Physiology, Literature, Economic Sciences and Peace. It is awarded by Sweden and Norway in diverse fields.
The contributions of Indians also notable in this list are Rabindra Nath Tagore, Mother Teresa, Dr Hargovind Khurana and more.
Background & History
- Alfred Nobel, the Swedish inventor, and humanist founded the Nobel Prize in 1895 by means of a testament. He has dedicated his large part of wealth as a grant to humanitarians in the areas of physics, chemistry, medicine, literature and peace.
| Reason Behind the Establishment of the Nobel Prizes Alfred Nobel was a versatile being, he was a renowned scientist, inventor and a businessman with entrepreneurial attributes. Besides this he also had deep interest in the arts – especially in poetry and drama and had many such creations under his accolades.The diverse fields in which the Nobel Prize is awarded reflects this versatility. In the year 1985, Nobel laid the foundation for the awards, leaving much of his wealth for the cause of creative contribution. Note: Every year, Nobel Prizes are awarded annually since 1901 to individuals and organizations across the world for outstanding achievements in disciplines – Physics, Chemistry, Literature, Physiology or Medicine, and Peace. |
How did the Nobel Prize come into existence?
- The Nobel Prizes came into existence through the last will that Nobel wrote in 1895. His wealth’s most part was devoted to constitute the prizes in the name of those who “conferred the greatest benefit on mankind”.
- The statute of his will was drawn out one year after his death, and the foundation was made in his name. The Nobel Foundation then introduced necessary statutes until the end of 1900.
- In 1901, the first prizes were given in the five areas of Physics, Chemistry, Medicine, Literature, and Peace.
- Note: Economics was added in 1968 by the central bank of Sweden in the memory of Nobel.
- The Nobel Peace Prize is uniquely awarded by a committee in Norway, while the other prizes are presented by Swedish institutions.
Evolution of the Nobel Prize
- Nobel Prizes have become the highest recognition globally for excellence and humanitarian impact and have evolved over time since 1901, when awarded for the first time.
- The very first prizes were awarded on the 5th anniversary of Nobel’s death, and since then, given to those who have had a significant, positive influence on mankind in general.
Components of Nobel Prize Award
Main Components of Nobel Prize Award:
Gold Medal
- Each Nobel laureate is the receiver of a medal made from green gold, which is covered with a layer of 24-karat gold.
- The design of the medal depends on the category. For instance, the Nobel prize in physics and chemistry has the figure of a Goddess of Nature (Isis) and a Genius of Science on the medal while others may have a representation of Alfred Nobel.
- The name of the winner and some other relevant information is also inscribed on the medal.
Diploma
- Laureates are given a specially designed diploma which is made exclusively for them by the institution that awards the prize.
- The diploma will have the name, the general topic and a short description of the winner’s achievement.
- It has the signature of the winner and the signatures of the Prize Committee and the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences and is given out with a personal handshake by the reigning King of Sweden (save the Peace Prize that is handed over in Norway).
Monetary Award
- In addition to being selected for the Nobel Prize, counterparts receive a share of the profits that are determined and distributed by the Nobel Foundation each year.
- In 2023, the monetary award is around 11 million Swedish kronor (which is equivalent to roughly US$ 1,035,000).
- If there is more than one person who gets a share of the prize money for the same category, the amount to be shared is decided by the committee.
List of Indian Nobel Prize Winners (1913–2019)
| Nobel Laureate | Category | Year | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rabindranath Tagore | Literature | 1913 | Poetry (Gitanjali) |
| C. V. Raman | Physics | 1930 | Raman Effect (Physics) |
| Har Gobind Khurana | Medicine | 1968 | Genetic Code |
| Mother Teresa | Peace | 1979 | Humanitarian Work |
| Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar | Physics | 1983 | Stellar Evolution |
| Amartya Sen | Economics | 1998 | Welfare Economics |
| Venkatraman Ramakrishnan | Chemistry | 2009 | Structure of Ribosome |
| Kailash Satyarthi | Peace | 2014 | Child Rights Activism |
| Abhijit Banerjee | Economics | 2019 | Poverty Alleviation Research |
List of 2025 Nobel Prize Awardee in All Fields
| Field | 2025 Winner(s) | Country | Research/Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physiology/Medicine | Mary E. Brunkow, Fred Ramsdell, Shimon Sakaguchi | USA, Japan | Peripheral immune tolerance |
| Physics | John Clarke, Michel H. Devoret, John M. Martinis | USA, France, USA | Macroscopic quantum mechanical tunnelling and energy quantisation in electric circuits (Quantum Physics) |
| Chemistry | Susumu Kitagawa, Richard Robson, Omar M. Yaghi | Japan, Australia, USA | Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) development |
| Literature | László Krasznahorkai | Hungary | Visionary works reaffirming the power of art, culture, and humanity |
| Peace | Maria Corina Machado | Venezuela | For her tireless work promoting democratic rights for the people of Venezuela and for her struggle to achieve a just and peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy. |
| Economics | To be Announced Soon | – | To be Announced Soon |
Also Read: Nobel Prize 2024 Winners
Significance of Nobel Prize Award
- As the strongest and the most important worldwide recognition, the Nobel Prize is considered to be a very valuable award characterized by the winners’ hard work and the service of man through the pursuit of knowledge.
- Which was the reason for the creation of the Nobel Prize by Alfred Nobel in his will. It is awarded to those who have done excellent work in the fields of science, literature, peace, economics and thereby have extended the greatest benefit to mankind.
- It is the Prize itself that gives recognition to these discoveries, ideas, and peace efforts that totally change the way of living and the development of further research that will lead to innovations thus inspire younger generations.
- Moreover, it gives the winners not only honor and publicity on a great scale but also a lifelong heritage to be the reference for accomplishment and humane values.
- The Nobel Prize, by recognizing the work of those who improve the condition of mankind, becomes a guiding light to humanity and a catalyst of cooperation and change of the world.
Way Forward
- The future of the Nobel Prize calls for the adoption of the new sphere of activities such as AI, climate science, and global health problems so as to be in touch with the transformation of the world and to be a dependable and responsible institution in it.
- Departing from the traditional approach and also recognizing the contributions of individuals who work in areas other than their expertise will result in the most efficient and innovative research circles.
- The impact of the Prize will be greater due to the fact that its collaborations with world institutions are getting stronger and its advancements are all based on sustainable and ethical principles that take into account the welfare of humanity.
- The Nobel Prize can be a part of the driving forces of the educational-free policy that will result in the realization of the dreams of many youths by providing them with guidance in their voluntary quest for perfection and good cause work.
- All in all, the Nobel Prize has to maintain its course of honoring the revolutionizing contributions through an approach that is adaptable to the contemporary challenges and that in itself would be a major step in securing a brighter future for all people.
Conclusion
- The Nobel Prize still remains as the highest international recognition for people who have made exceptional contributions which have had an impact on the world or advanced humanity.
- It’s a very prestigious award that acknowledges the great ideas that contribute to the progress of the world be it through science, literature, peace, or economics. Also, it acts as a beacon that guides one towards a new and better future.
- The will of Alfred Nobel is the basis from which the Prize has been established and he tried in the past to make the world a better place with the gift of his enormous wealth.
- The Nobel Prize is the most important event in the field of knowledge and peace for the benefit of humanity.
