Nobel Prize and the left out runners-up

The month of October is usually abuzz with the announcement of Nobel prizes. High profile academics, intellectuals, writers, researchers, policy entrepreneurs, social mobilisers eagerly and anxiously wait for the announcement of the prizes. Many of them consider the prize as the final achievement of their life. A mission fully accomplished. Enlightened outsiders also share similar opinion.
The hopeful contenders are utterly disappointed if their names are not announced for the prize. An impression is created that the work and contributions, however grand, are of no practical value unless these are recognised through awarding Nobel prize to their authors. One prize makes or unmakes persons with scads of achievements.
The Nobel prize was established in 1901, five years after the death of Alfred Nobel, the Swedish chemist and engineer who made a huge fortune through discovery of and trading in explosives, and donated a substantial part of it for recognising the achievements and contributions of top-notchers in specified fields.
To begin with, the identified fields were physics, chemistry, medicine including psychology, literature and peace. For reasons best known to the administrators, the National Bank of Sweden was allowed to extend the field to economics in 1968. The trust fund is administered by a board of directors elected by the prize awarding institutions.
The Swedish Academy of Science awards the prizes for physics, chemistry and economics. Prizes for medicine or psychology are awarded by the Caroline Medico Surgical institute in Stockholm. The Swedish Academy for literature awards the prizes for literature. A committee elected by the Norwegian Legislative Assembly awards the Nobel peace prize. Every year, the winners in each field receive a gold medal, a certificate and a cash award equivalent to approximately $ 1.5million.
Whatever be the intention of its founder, the Nobel prize has firmly established itself as the apex instrument to recognise the top achievers in the specified fields.
No other award comes near the Nobel prize. A number of multinationals or colossal business houses can afford to establish prizes which could be financially more lucrative than the Nobel prize. It is interesting and intriguing to see that they have conspicuously refrained from doing so.
Also, a number of competing fields are clearly visible these days -- mathematics or statistics, information technology, bio-technology, mass media etc. No organisation has come forward to recognise the doyens in these fields through a financial award. Nobel prize holds its sway, as it did a century back.
What is the impact of the Nobel prize on the awardee's life? S/he physically remains the same person, maybe with a halo around his/her head. A Nobel prize does not lend immortality to the laureate. It does not guarantee long lasting happiness; nor does it readily do away with his/her physical debility though it allows him/her much better opportunity for medical treatment. His/her emotional sufferings remain his/her own though it may be attenuated by the ecstasy of wining the most coveted prize in the world.
If the prizewinner has any problem of impecuniousness, it is expected to be over, given the leviathan size of the financial award. S/he can pursue her/his preferred line of activities unencumbered by recurring financial constraints. Stories are afloat that winners of smaller prizes sold the gold medals in order to tide over financial difficulties. Nobel laureates have a built-in protection against such ignominy.
Except the Nobel peace prize all other prizes are oriented to academic pursuit. Nobel laureates in academic fields are usually well-known in their professions, though their visibility may be limited to professional circles only. Winning the Nobel prize puts a stamp of permanence on their reputation and credibility. At times it also help transcend their fame to international stage from the confines of the native land.
Whatever be the case, all Nobel laureates are universally recognised as topmost achievers by international standards in their professional fields. Winners of Nobel peace prize are not academics or professional people; they are usually politicians, policy entrepreneurs, social mobilisers and rights activists. They have high visibility and are well known throughout the world because of the nature of their work. In most cases Nobel prize is just another feather in their cap.
The lifestyle, however, changes for almost all of them as they become celebrities worldwide. They have to travel a lot, deliver public addresses, join high level banquets, conventions and convocations. People listen to them; they have very high social carriage.
Their visits, public appearances and missions are sponsored by funding agencies, multinationals, native business houses, social organisations and private trusts. The charm of winning the prize cannot be fully availed of by the reticent, the introvert, the travel-sick and the physically debilitated person.
The flip side of the Nobel Prize is the built-in bias in the selection procedure and, per force, exclusion of thousands of competent and dedicated persons in the process. Glory of human life should never be congealed into one single criterion. Nor greatness be measured by a single group of people representing a particular school of thought or a power bloc. Life consists of multidimensional pursuits and events all of which are dense in their own significance and meaning.
Many of the left out aspirants and many others who were never considered for this coveted prize are great people in their own right. Their failure to garner a Nobel prize should not belittle their contributions towards advancement of human society. We must prise the Nobel prize out from enrichment and welfare of life, not forgetting that a person who vehemently opposed our Liberation War also won a Nobel prize, unfortunately for peace.

Dr. Saadat Husain is Chairman, Public Service Commission.