Syllabus:

GS-3: Achievements of Indians in science & technology; indigenization of technology and developing new technology. 

Context: 

Recently, two Indians Vikash Kumar and Sarthak Mittal were awarded 2025 Ig Nobel prize in the engineering design category. 

More on the News

• The 2025 ceremony hosted virtually from Harvard University’s Sanders Theatre. 
• It is the 35th edition of the Ig Nobel Prize. 

About 2025 Ig Nobel prize in the Engineering Design Category

• Award: Two Indian researchers received for analysing how foul-smelling shoes affect the user experience of a shoe rack.
• Publication: The study was published in 2022.
• Focus: It treated shoe odour as a legitimate ergonomic issue, demonstrating its impact on comfort and usability.
• Insight: The findings emphasized that good design must account for real-life sensory experiences, beyond aesthetics and function.
• Recognition: This is India’s 22nd Ig Nobel Prize.

About Ig Nobel Prize

• The award was founded in 1991 by the science humour magazine ‘Annals of Improbable Research’.
• Their motto, “first make people laugh, and then make them think,” highlights how seemingly whimsical studies can provide meaningful insights into psychology, biology, and other fields.
• The Ig Nobel prizes were conceived as a playful counterweight to the more austere Nobel Prizes. 
• In a given year, anywhere from nine to 13 prizes are awarded. 
• Categories of the 2025 Ig Nobel Prize includes: Literature, Psychology, Nutrition, Paediatrics, Biology, Chemistry, Peace, Engineering Design, Aviation and Physics. 

Sources:

The Hindu.
Improbable