Misleading Claim About CR Rao Getting 2025 Nobel Prize for Statistics Goes Viral

The claim is misleading. Rao passed away in 2023 after receiving the International Prize in Statistics.

A misleading claim about mathematician-statistician Dr CR Rao receiving the 2025 'Nobel Prize in Statistics' is being widely shared on social media.

(Source: Facebook/Altered by The Quint)

Social media users are sharing posts about Indian-American mathematical statistician CR Rao, claiming that he received the 'Nobel Prize in Statistics' this year, in 2025.

What does the post say?: Those sharing the posts told the story of Rao's career after moving to the USA after retiring in India, where he went into teaching and was later honoured with accolades.

• "Today, at the age of 102, he received the Nobel Prize in Statistics," the post claimed.

An archived version of this post can be seen here.

(Source: Facebook/Screenshot)

(Archived versions of more posts sharing this claim can be seen here, here, and here.)

Is it true?: No, the claim is misleading as there is no Nobel Prize in Statistics.

• Rao passed away in 2023, months after being awarded the International Prize in Statistics, which is regarded as the equivalent of the Nobel Prize.

How do we know?: Firstly, the Nobel Prize is only awarded in six categories, which are:

• Physics,

• Chemistry,

• Physiology or medicine,

• Literature,

• Peace, and

• Economic sciences

There is no Nobel Prize in Statistics.

(Source: Nobel Prize/Screenshot)

This makes it evident that there is no Nobel Prize in Statistics, as claimed.

• Next, we looked for information about Rao's awards, which took us to a 2023 report by The Quint.

• Our report dated 11 April 2023 mentioned that Rao would be "awarded the 2023 International Prize in Statistics, the industry equivalent of the Nobel Prize, for his historical work in statistical theory, which revolutionised statistical thinking."

• It mentioned that he was set to receive the award in July 2023 at the age of 102.

CR Rao was awarded the 2023 International Prize in Statistics.

(Source: The Quint/Screenshot)

In another report dated 23 August 2023, The Quint reported about CR Rao's demise, a month after he received the International Prize in Statistics.

He passed away in 2023.

(Source: The Quint/Screenshot)

Since he passed away in 2023, it is not possible for him to receive a non-existent 'Nobel Prize in Statistics' as claimed in the viral post.

Conclusion: The claim about Rao receiving a 'Nobel Prize in Statistics' in 2025 is false.

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