Arun Kumar Sharma | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | (1924-12-31)31 December 1924 |
| Died | 6 July 2017(2017-07-06) (aged 92)[1] Kolkata, West Bengal, India |
| Alma mater |
|
| Known for | Studies onChromosomes |
| Awards | 1967 Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize 1972 AS Paul Bruhl Medal 1974 IBS Birbal Sahni Medal 1976 UGC J. C. Bose Award 1976 INSA Silver Jubilee Medal 1979 FICCI Award 1983 Padma Bhushan 1993 Om Prakash Bhasin Award 1994 G. M. Modi Award 1998 INSA M. N. Saha Medal 1999 VASVIK Award 2008 Rathindra Puraskar |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | |
| Institutions | |
Arun Kumar Sharma (1924 – 2017), popularly known asAKS, was an Indiancytogeneticist,cell biologist,cytochemist and a formerSir Rashbehary Ghose Professor and Head of the Department of Botany at the University of Kolkata,College of Science and Technology.[2] Considered by many as the father of Indian cytology,[3][4] he headed theCentre for Advanced Study on Cell and Chromosome at the university and is known for his contributions to the studies on thephysical and chemical nature ofchromosomes.[5] AJawaharlal Nehru fellow, he is a recipient of several honors including theOm Prakash Bhasin Award and theVASVIK Industrial Research Award. TheCouncil of Scientific and Industrial Research, the apex agency of the Government of India for scientific research, awarded him theShanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize for Science and Technology, one of the highest Indian science awards, in 1967, for his contributions to biological sciences.[6] The Government of India awarded him the third highest civilian honor of thePadma Bhushan in 1983.[7]
Arun Kumar Sharma was born on the last day of 1924 in Calcutta in British India (nowKolkata in the Indian state ofWest Bengal ) to Charu Chandra Sharma–Shovamoyee couple. His family went into financial troubles when his father died when he was 8 years of age and he was brought up at his maternal grandparents' house.[8] His early schooling was at Mitra Institution after which he joinedAsutosh College of theUniversity of Kolkata in 1939. He graduated (BSc) in Botany, studying on ahalf-free scholarship[note 1] in 1943 and followed it up with the master's degree (MSc) fromRajabazar Science College in 1945. Later, he would also secure a Doctor of Science degree from the same university in 1955. After completing his post graduate degree, he passed theUnion Public Service Commission examination for a public service career and was among the five selected forBotanical Survey of India where his assignment was the development of theherbarium and the garden of the Royal Botanical Garden, Howrah. Here, he got training intaxonomy and worked as a temporary teacher but moved to theUniversity of Kolkata, again as a temporary teacher in 1947. He became the assistant lecturer at the university in 1948 where he spent his entire academic life, superannuating in 1990 as the head of the department and project coordinator for theCentre for Advanced Study on Cell and Chromosome of the university in 1990.[9] In between, he served as a lecturer (1952), reader (1962), professor (1970),Sir Rashbehary Ghose Professor (until 1988) and as anINSA Golden Jubilee Research Professor (1985–90) and continued his association with the university as an honorary professor past his official retirement.[2]
Sharma was married toArchana Sharma, an academic, cytologist and science writer[10][11][note 2] and he lived in Kolkata; his wife died in 2008.[12]
Sharma pioneered researches in cytogenetics and cytochemistry in India and is credited with developing new research techniques for the study of chromosome structure of plants.[13] He propounded the concept ofspeciation in asexual organisms and the some of techniques he developed for the study ofchromosomes with respect to their physical and chemical nature, such as repetitiveDNA orcein banding, multiple DNA analysis and analysis of chemical nature of chromosomes, are being practiced globally.[2] He introduced a new protocol for inducing division in adult nuclei through chemical application which assisted in cell rejuvenation. He redefinedangiospermtaxonomy, proposed new concepts of the dynamic DNA and dynamic structure and behaviour of chromosomes and suggested the use of embryoirradiation andin-vitro cultures for the generation of variability, andtissue culture as a tool for conservation of endangered species and for maintaining genetic variability. His studies proved thatorganogenesis, differentiation and reproduction return variable chemical composition of chromosomes while maintaining the genetic skeleton. His researches have been documented by way of several books and over 500 articles;[14]Chromosome Painting: Principles, Strategies and Scope,[15]Chromosome Techniques: Theory and Practice,[16]Chromosome Techniques — A Manual,[17]Botanical Survey of India,[18]Advances in Cell and Chromosome Research,[19]Plant Genome: Biodiversity and Evolution (2 volumes),[20][21] andCytology of Different Species of Palms and Its Bearing on the Solution of the Problems of Phylogeny and Speciation[22] are some of his notable works. He has also contributed chapters to reference manuals and texts such as theBotanical Review ofSpringer,International Review of Cytology ofElsevier,Encyclopaedia of Microscopy and Micro-technique ofVan Nostrand andThe Cell Nucleus andTropical Botany ofAcademic Press[2] and some of his books are prescribed texts for academic study.[23][note 3]
Sharma was the founder of theCentre for Advanced Study on Cell and Chromosome which was established during his tenancy as the head of the department of Botany at the University of Kolkata.[2] He chaired several national and international scientific committees such as the Indian National Committee of IUBS-INSA in 1978,Man and the Biosphere Programme Committee from 1981 to 1989, and the FASAS Commission on Science and Technology for Development in Asia in 1990 and has served as the co-chair of the Global Continuing Committee on Role of Scientific and Engineering Societies in Development in 1980),Birla Industrial & Technological Museum from 1990 to 1998, Plant and Biotechnology Committee of theDepartment of Biotechnology, in 1997 and the Plant Science Research Committee of theCouncil of Scientific and Industrial Research from 1998 to 2004. He was a member of the executive committee (1982–85) and the steering committee on Biological Monitoring of the State of Environment (1983) of theInternational Union of Biological Sciences and was a member of the Board of Trustees of theInternational Foundation for Science from 1984 to 1987. He served as the founder president of the Federation of Asian Scientific Academies and Societies when the federation was formed in 1984 and has presided the Society of Cytologists and Geneticists, India (1976–78),[24][note 4] Botanical Society of Bengal (1977–79),Indian Science Congress Association (1981),[25] Indian Society of Cell Biology (1979–80),[26]Indian Botanical Society (1980) and theIndian National Science Academy (1983–84).[27] He is a former chief editor ofThe Nucleus journal ofSpringer[28] and has been a member of the editorial boards of such journals asProceedings of theIndian National Science Academy, theJournal of Cytology and Genetics,Proceedings of theIndian Academy of Sciences and theIndian Journal of Experimental Biology. He has also guided 80 PhD and 10 DSc scholars in their researches.[8]
Sharma, who was selected for theJawaharlal Nehru Fellowship for hs project onChromosomes in Relations to Development and Differentiation in Higher Plants in 1972,[29] received the Paul Bruhl Memorial Medal by theAsiatic Society the same year.[2] TheIndian Botanical Society awarded him the Birbal Sahni Medal in 1974[30] and he received theShanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize for Biological Sciences, one of the highest Indian science awards from theCouncil of Scientific and Industrial Research in 1976.[13] He received two more awards in 1976, the inaugural J. C. Bose Award of theUniversity Grants Commission and the Silver Jubilee Medal of theIndian National Science Academy (INSA), INSA would honor him again with Golden Jubilee Professorship in 1985 and Meghnad Saha Medal in 1998.[31] The University Grants Commission selected him as a National Professor in 1977 and he received the FICCI Award of theFederation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry in 1979. The Government of India included him in theRepublic Day honors list for the third highest civilian honor of thePadma Bhushan in 1983.[7]
Sharma received theOm Prakash Bhasin Award in 1992[32] and theVASVIK Industrial Research Award in 1999;[33] in between he received the Gujar Mal Modi Award for Science and Technology of the International Institute of Fine Arts in 1994.[34] He also received the Rathindra Puraskar ofVisva-Bharati University in 2008.[35] TheIndian National Science Academy and theIndian Academy of Sciences elected him as their fellow in 1970 and 1975 respectively.[36] The World Academy of Sciences chose him as their fellow in 1988[37] and theNational Academy of Sciences, India followed suit in 2012.[38] He is also a recipient of the degree of Doctor of Science (honoris causa) fromBurdwan University.[2]
