K. Vijayraghavan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Krishnaswamy Vijayraghavan
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Vijayraghavan in December 2017
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| 3rd Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India | |
| In office April 2018 – 2 April 2022 |
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| President | Ram Nath Kovind |
| Prime Minister | Narendra Modi |
| Preceded by | Rajagopala Chidambaram |
| Succeeded by | Ajay K. Sood |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 3 February 1954 |
| Nationality | India |
| Alma mater | Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research |
| Awards | Padma Shri Fellow of the Royal Society Infosys Prize Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize Foreign Associate, US National Academy of Sciences. |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Genetics Neurogenetics |
| Institutions | The National Centre for Biological Sciences |
Krishnaswamy Vijayraghavan was born on February 3, 1954. He is a very important scientist and professor. He used to be the director of the National Centre for Biological Sciences. From 2018 to 2022, he served as the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Indian government. This role means he advised the government on science and technology.
Dr. Vijayraghavan has received many honors for his work. In 2012, he became a Fellow of The Royal Society, which is a very old and respected scientific academy in the UK. In 2014, he was also chosen as a foreign associate of the US National Academy of Sciences. India honored him with the Padma Shri award in 2013. He also won the Infosys Prize in 2009 for his amazing discoveries in life sciences.
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Early Life and Education
Krishnaswamy Vijayraghavan studied chemical engineering at IIT Kanpur. He earned his first degree in 1975 and a master's degree in 1977. He then went on to get his Ph.D. in molecular biology in 1983 from the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research.
After his Ph.D., he continued his research in the United States. From 1984 to 1988, he worked as a research fellow at the California Institute of Technology. This experience helped him learn even more about science.
His Scientific Career in India
In 1988, Dr. Vijayraghavan returned to India and joined the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research. In 1992, he helped start the National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS) in Bangalore. He was very important in setting up this new research center. Today, he is an emeritus professor there. This means he is a retired professor who is still highly respected for his past work.
What He Studies
Dr. Vijayraghavan specializes in developmental biology, genetics, and neurogenetics.
- Developmental biology is about how living things grow and develop from a single cell.
- Genetics is the study of genes and heredity.
- Neurogenetics looks at how genes affect the nervous system.
His research mainly focuses on how the nervous system and muscles develop. He studies how these systems work together to control how animals move. He often uses the fruit fly, called Drosophila melanogaster, as a model for his studies. By studying fruit flies, scientists can learn things that might apply to other animals, including humans.
His work helped us understand how certain genes, called Hox genes, guide the connections between nerves and muscles. This research showed how these connections control specific movements in the body.
Leadership Roles
Besides his research, Dr. Vijayraghavan has held important leadership positions. He is a member of the board of governors for the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology. He also served as the secretary of the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) in India from 2013 to 2018. In this role, he helped guide India's biotechnology research and development.
He also led a special committee to advise the Prime Minister's Office on reforms for the DRDO (Defence Research and Development Organisation). This shows his wide influence in India's scientific community.
Awards and Recognitions
Dr. Vijayraghavan has received many awards and honors throughout his career. These awards recognize his important contributions to science.
- 1997: Elected a fellow of the Indian Academy of Sciences.
- 1998: Received the Bhatnagar Prize for Science and Technology. This is one of India's highest science awards.
- 1999: Became an honorary faculty member of the Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research. He also became a fellow of the Indian National Science Academy.
- 2003: Received the Distinguished Alumnus Award from IIT Kanpur, his former university.
- 2006: Awarded the J. C. Bose Fellowship, which supports outstanding scientists.
- 2010: Elected a fellow of TWAS, an academy for scientists in developing countries.
- 2012: Received the H. K. Firodia Award for his original work in life sciences, especially developmental biology, genetics, and neurogenetics. In the same year, he became a Fellow of the Royal Society.
- 2013: Conferred the Padma Shri by the President of India. This is one of India's highest civilian honors.
- 2014: Elected a Foreign Associate of the US National Academy of Sciences.
- 2018: Appointed as the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India.
- 2021: Elected to the American Philosophical Society.
