Dr. Paramvir Singh Ahuja

With the passing away of former Director General of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and former Director of CSIR-Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology (IHBT), Dr. Paramvir Singh Ahuja, our country has lost an inspiring institution builder and a selflessly devoted scientist.

Dr. Ahuja was deeply respected worldwide as an eminent academician and an excellent plant biochemist. He turned the CSIR-Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology (IHBT), Palampur into a world-class institute while serving as its Director. He also played a pivotal role in creating the infrastructure of CIMAP, Lucknow.

Dr. Ahuja had an exemplary record in administrative capacity as a leader in science and academics. He was a Life Member of more than 15 professional bodies and Fellow of many prestigious academies like National Academy of Agricultural Sciences (NAAS), National Academy of Sciences, India (NASI) and Indian National Science Academy (INSA) besides other professional bodies pertaining to his area of specialization. He had more than 200 Research Publications/Reviews and over 20 patents.

Dr. Ahuja will always be remembered for his excellent contributions in the field of Plant Improvement, especially for his studies on Indian Tea germplasm and his researches on tea, rose and potato transgenics.

Prof. Bharat Bhushan Chattoo

It is indeed very difficult to believe that the great scientist and Director of M S University’s Genome Research Centre, Professor Bharat Bhushan Chattoo, left this mortal world due to cardiac arrest.

Dr. Chattoo was a senior professor in the Department of Microbiology and Biotechnology Centre, M S University, Baroda. He was a fellow of the Indian National Science Academy (INSA), National Academy of Agricultural Sciences, National Academy of Sciences India (NASI) and Third World Academy of Sciences (TWAS). He served on several expert committees of the Government of India and was a member of the task force of the Department of Biotechnology, Govt. of India and Gujarat Biotechnology Council of Government of Gujarat. 

Dr. Chattoo had received many prestigious awards like the national technology award for transfer of technology to industry, Lifetime Achievement Award for Rice Blast Research and the Acharya J C Bose National Fellowship of Department of Science and Technology. He was also the founder Vice Chancellor of the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University, Jammu.

Dr. Chattoo was a distinguished scientist, an eminent microbiologist and he will remain always in our memory for his extraordinary contributions to social, technical and scientific progress of India.