Odisha & Kolkata Scientists Win $3M Breakthrough Prize, by CERN, Dubbed as 'Oscars of Science'

Eight scientists from leading research institutions in Odisha—NISER, IIT Bhubaneswar, the Institute of Physics, and IISER Berhampur—have been honored with the 2025 Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics, awarded by CERN.

Additionally, five scientists from Kolkata’s Bose Institute have also been recognized for their contributions to the ALICE experiment at CERN.

The Breakthrough Prize is one of the most prestigious awards in science, often called the "Oscars of Science". It recognizes groundbreaking discoveries in Fundamental Physics, Life Sciences, and Mathematics, celebrating researchers who push the boundaries of human knowledge.

The $3 million prize recognizes the contributions of thousands of researchers from over 70 countries who worked on four major experimental collaborations at CERN’s Large Hadron Collider (LHC) —ATLAS, CMS, ALICE, and LHCb.

Among the awardees from Odisha are Bedangadas Mohanty, Ranbir Singh, Sanjay Swain, Prolay Mal (NISER Bhubaneswar), Seema Bahinipati (IIT Bhubaneswar), Aruna Kumar Nayak, Pradip Kumar Sahu (Institute of Physics, Bhubaneswar), and Natasha Sharma (IISER Berhampur).

The Stars of Science at the 2025 Breakthrough Prize Ceremony

The prize acknowledges groundbreaking research in particle physics, including studies on the Higgs boson, matter-antimatter asymmetry, and rare particle interactions. The award money will be used to support doctoral students, allowing them to conduct research at CERN and bring back expertise to their home institutions.

This recognition highlights India’s growing role in high-energy physics and inspires young scientists to pursue careers in fundamental research.

 

CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research, which is directly connected to the Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics award, recognizes groundbreaking research conducted at CERN’s Large Hadron Collider (LHC).

CERN is the world’s largest particle physics laboratory, and its experiments push the boundaries of fundamental physics, making it a key player in scientific advancements. These experiments have contributed to major discoveries, including studies on the Higgs boson, matter-antimatter asymmetry, and rare particle interactions.

Scientists from Odisha and Kolkata were part of these collaborations, earning recognition for their contributions.

The 2025 Breakthrough Prize was awarded to thousands of researchers involved in four major Large Hadron Collider (LHC) experiments—ATLAS, CMS, ALICE, and LHCb.

The Breakthrough Prize is awarded by the Breakthrough Prize Foundation, which was founded by Sergey Brin, Priscilla Chan & Mark Zuckerberg, Yuri & Julia Milner, and Anne Wojcicki.

The winners are selected by committees of previous laureates, and the awards are funded by the personal foundations of the founders. The prize recognizes outstanding contributions in Fundamental Physics, Life Sciences, and Mathematics.