The Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) and Nature India have launched the Nature India essay competition 2020 to provide young and experienced scientists, researchers and authors in India, a platform to share ideas on how societally-impactful science can advance and strengthen the country.

The Nature India essay competition is open for readers aged 25 to 50. The essayists will have an opportunity to draft a compelling narrative with personal anecdotes, emotion and a science-backed story that may become potentially historic in helping shape the roadmap for India’s scientific future. The essays should convey thoughts on the societal impact of science in India in not more than 1000 words. The tone of the essays must be aspirational, with emotions and story-telling. The essays should be reasoned, well-researched, forward-looking and supported by existing science.

On the launch of the essay competition, Director General, CSIR, Dr Shekhar C Mande remarked that the fruits of science must benefit the society and that Nature India essay competition would give an opportunity to Indian scientists to share their perspective and aspirations on this crucial aspect of S&T.

The submitted essays will be judged by a panel of editors, scientists and science communicators. The deadline for completed essays is midnight, India time, on March 9, 2020. The winners will have their essays published in the Nature India annual volume as well as the Nature India blog Indigenus. The top three essays will win a cash prize (Rs 40,000, Rs 30,000 and Rs 20,000 or equivalent), a three-year subscription to Nature, trophies and certificates.