Young Numismatist from BHU Selected for Prestigious INSA Award

In a significant recognition of excellence in scientific research, Dr. Amit Kumar Upadhyay, Senior Assistant Professor at the Centre of Advanced Study, Department of Ancient Indian History, Culture & Archaeology, Faculty of Arts, has been selected for the prestigious INSA Historian Scientist Young Associate Award for 2025. The much-coveted award is presented to a scholar under the age of 40 years for exceptional contribution to scientific research.

Dr. Upadhyay is widely regarded for his pioneering work of computational numismatics in India, introducing artificial intelligence, digital image processing, and machine learning into the study of ancient coinage. His research has addressed longstanding challenges such as fragmented coin catalogues, manual limitations of traditional methods, and difficulties in identifying ancient forgeries.

In addition to computational work, Dr. Upadhyay has significantly advanced scientific numismatics through the use of modern spectroscopic techniques. His investigations into early Indian Punch-Marked Coins (600–200 BCE) have revealed crucial insights into alloying technologies, economic conditions reflected in declining silver content, and the technological evolution of minting practices. His recent publications and communicated papers in high-impact journals have drawn attention to the importance of interdisciplinary approaches in numismatic research, combining archaeology, materials science, physics, and computational analysis.

The award carries a monthly fellowship of ₹10,000 for one year along with a one-time international travel grant to support participation in global scientific conferences. The Indian National Science Academy (INSA) President, Prof. Ashutosh Sharma, who commended Dr. Upadhyay’s exceptional potential and his leadership in emerging research domains.

Dr. Upadhyay presented his research at INSA under the theme “Future Prospects of Numismatic Research: Emerging Trends and Methodologies,” where he highlighted the global developments in automated coin analysis and the need for comprehensive digital corpora of Indian coins.

With an impressive academic record—36 research articles, six books, fourteen edited volumes, and over forty-six lectures and presentations—Dr. Upadhyay has emerged as a significant contributor to both national and international scholarship. He also serves as the Joint Secretary of the Numismatic Society of India, further strengthening academic networks in this specialized field.

Prof. M. P. Ahirwar, Head of the Department of Ancient Indian History, Culture & Archaeology, congratulated Dr. Upadhyay on this distinguished achievement, stating that “this honor reflects not only Dr. Upadhyay’s dedication and innovative contributions but also the growing recognition of scientific research within the humanities. His work has brought a new identity to the field of numismatics at BHU.”

Prof. Sushma Ghildiyal, Dean, Faculty of Arts, also expressed great pride, emphasizing that “for the first time, a young faculty from a non-science discipline at BHU has been selected for this prestigious INSA Young Associate Award. Dr. Upadhyay’s accomplishment demonstrates how interdisciplinary research can break traditional boundaries and elevate the Faculty of Arts onto national and international scientific platforms.”

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