Pramod Tandon is anIndia Plant Biotechnologist and academic. He is a former Professor of Botany & Vice-Chancellor ofNorth-Eastern Hill University (NEHU), Shillong and Chief Executive Officer of Biotech Park, Lucknow. The Government of India awarded him the fourth highest civilian honour Padma Sri in 2009, for his contributions to science.
Tandon was born on 6 October 1950, at Lucknow. He received his BSc degree in 1969 and MSc (Botany) in 1971 fromLucknow University.[1] He obtained his PhD fromJodhpur University in 1976. In 1977, he joined theNorth-Eastern Hill University as a lecturer and later rose to the position of Vice-Chancellor.[1]
Tandon was awarded the National Scholarship for Study Abroad by Government of India and worked as a post-doctoral fellow in the Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry at theUniversity of California, Irvine, US during 1978–79 and studied the genome organisation and expression of chloroplast DNA. From 1989 to 1995, the National Institute of Agro-biological Resources and several universities in Japan invited him for research work that led to a long-term collaboration on Plant Conservation Biotechnology.
Tandon was Vice-Chancellor of NEHU from 2005 to 2010.[4] Under his leadership, NEHU received the distinction of 'University with Potential for Excellence' being one amongst nine such universities in the country at that time,[1] securing an 'A' grade through reaccreditation of the university byNAAC.[5]
Tandon served as a member of theNational Advisory Council during 2010–14, where he worked extensively on development of northeastern region,[7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14] a region facing many challenges including troubled history and geo-politics, environmental vulnerability and rough terrain, seclusion and insurgencies, poor infrastructure and weak governance, and limited connectivity.[15][16]
Tandon's has made seminal contributions inmicropropagation, re-establishment in nature, and recovery of critically endangered endemic plants of Northeast India.[17][18][19][20][21] His most recent studies (2010–2015) focus on the genetic makeup of RET plants, includingmolecular andcytological basis of rarity ofendangered plants that is useful in planning conservation strategies.[22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29] Tandon has worked on biotechnological enhancement of Capsaicin biosynthesis in cell cultures ofCapsicum chinense (Naga King Chilli - one of the hottest chillies of the world)[30][31][32][33][34][35]
Tandon promoted entrepreneurship in biotechnology-based industry in Uttar Pradesh to assure benefits to society including training of tribal youth.
Tandon is a Fellow of theNational Academy of Sciences, India,Indian Botanical Society, Indian Botanical Society,Linnean Society of London, and International Society of Environmental Botanists and served as a member of many Academic bodies and National Task Forces including Scientific Advisory Committee to the Cabinet, GOI.[39]
^Sudipta S. Das Bhowmik; Suman Kumaria & Pramod Tandon (2010). "Conservation of Mantisia spathulata Schult. and Mantisia wengeri Fischer, Two Critically Endangered and Endemic Zingibers of Northeast India".Seed Technology.32 (1):57–62.JSTOR23433623.
^Devi, Soibam Purnima; Kumaria, Suman; Rao, Satyawada Rama; Tandon, Pramod (2015). "Genetic fidelity assessment in micropropagated plants using cytogenetical analysis and heterochromatin distribution: a case study with Nepenthes khasiana Hook f".Protoplasma.252 (5):1305–12.doi:10.1007/s00709-015-0763-z.PMID25616932.S2CID14623168.
^Devi, Soibam Purnima; Kumaria, Suman; Rao, Satyawada Rama; Tandon, Pramod (2013). "In vitro propagation and assessment of clonal fidelity of Nepenthes khasiana Hook. f.: a medicinal insectivorous plant of India".Acta Physiologiae Plantarum.35 (9):2813–20.doi:10.1007/s11738-013-1314-x.S2CID8822527.
^Dkhar, Jeremy; Kumaria, Suman; Rao, Satyawada Rama; Tandon, Pramod (2013). "New insights into character evolution, hybridization and diversity of IndianNymphaea(Nymphaeaceae): evidence from molecular and morphological data".Systematics and Biodiversity.11 (1):77–86.doi:10.1080/14772000.2013.773949.S2CID85148386.
^Dkhar, Jeremy; Kumaria, Suman; Tandon, Pramod (2011). "Nymphaea alba var. rubra is a hybrid of N. alba and N. odorata as evidenced by molecular analysis".Annales Botanici Fennici.48 (4):317–24.doi:10.5735/085.048.0403.JSTOR23727996.S2CID56265714.
^Kehie, Mechuselie; Kumaria, Suman; Tandon, Pramod; Ramchiary, Nirala (2014). "Biotechnological advances on in vitro capsaicinoids biosynthesis in capsicum: a review".Phytochemistry Reviews.14 (2):189–201.doi:10.1007/s11101-014-9344-6.S2CID15352163.
^Ramchiary, Nirala; Kehie, Mechuselie; Brahma, Vijaya; Kumaria, Suman; Tandon, Pramod (2013). "Application of genetics and genomics towards Capsicum translational research".Plant Biotechnology Reports.8 (2):101–23.doi:10.1007/s11816-013-0306-z.S2CID17013599.
^Kehie, Mechuselie; Kumaria, Suman; Tandon, Pramod (2014). "Manipulation of culture strategies to enhance capsaicin biosynthesis in suspension and immobilized cell cultures of Capsicum chinense Jacq. cv. Naga King Chili".Bioprocess and Biosystems Engineering.37 (6):1055–63.doi:10.1007/s00449-013-1076-2.PMID24141419.S2CID5285755.
