Two Indian Scientists Elected to ICSU

Two Indian scientists, Prof. Goverdhan Mehta and Prof. Anupam Varma, have been elected to International Council for Science (ICSU), Regional Committee for Asia and the Pacific. Prof. Mehta who has been elected as President of ICSU as the second Indian scientist to have reached the coveted position. Prof. M.G.K. Menon was the first Indian President of ICSU. Prof. Anupam Varma is elected as Chairman of the same Council.

Prof. Goverdhan Mehta (Former Director, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore and Vice Chancellor, University of Hyderabad), is a recognize expert in the field of chemistry. He has published more than 300 research papers in leading international journals and contributed to several monographs in the areas of contemporary interest in organic chemistry. He is the fellow of all the three science academies-Bangalore, Allahabad and New Delhi. He was also elected to the fellowship of the Royal Socienty, London in the year 2005.

Prof. Anupam Varma worked as National Professor of Eminence at Advanced Centre for Plant Virology, Department of Plant Pathology at Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi. He has also worked with FAO (UN) to develop Horticultural Research Institute at Ibadan, Nigeria. He has made important contributions to fundamental and applied aspects of plant virology. He has developed technologies for sensitive diagnosis of the virus and virus like diseases of crop plants. Prof. Varma has been closely associated with several national and international scientific Academies and societies in various capacities.

ICSU was created in 1931. The Paris based ICSU is the leading global non-governmental organization concerned with promotion of international scientific activity in different branches of science and their applications for the benefit of humanity. 101 countries of the world are affiliated to ICSU and its scientific unions.

Source : Ministry of Science & Technology
Date : November 16, 2005