Dr C GOPALAN :
SIXTY YEARS OF DISTINGUISHED LEADERSHIP IN NUTRITION
Academic Qualifications
• F.R.S., MD (Madras). Ph.D. (London), D.Sc. (London), D.Sc. (Hon. Caus.
BanarasHinduUniversity), F.R.C.P. (Edin.), F.R.C.P. (London)
• Fellow of the Royal Society, London, F.R.S.
• Fellow of the IndianNationalScienceAcademy.
• Fellow of the IndianAcademy of Science.
• Fellow of the NationalAcademy of Medical Sciences of India.
Current Position
• President, Nutrition Foundation Of India, New Delhi-110016
Previous Positions
• Director-General Indian Council of Medical Research, New Delhi, 1974-79.
• Director- National Institute of Nutrition, Hyderabad, 1960-1974.
Other Positions Held
• President, International Union of Nutritional Sciences, 1975-79.
• Chairman, Regional Advisory Committee on Medical Research, WHO,
1975-1980.
• Member, Global Advisory Committee on Medical Research, WHO, 1977-
80.
• Member, Nutrition Expert Panel of the WHO/FAO for several years and
participated in all the major meetings of the panel during the last 30 years.
• Founder President, Nutrition Society of India.
• President, First Asian Congress of Nutrition.
• Elected Honorary Member of the American Institute of Nutrition.
• Elected President of the Ninth Asian Congress of Nutrition
Academic Honours
Awards and Prizes
• Basant Devi Amir Chand Prize of the Indian Council of Medical Research
in 1954 for medical research.
• Basant Devi Amir Chand Prize (Senior) of the Indian Council of Medical
Research for 1960 for research in nutrition and public health problems.
• Amrut Mody Research Award for 1972 for contributions in the field of
nutrition.
• Dr. B.C. Roy National Award for “Development of Specialities in Medicine-
Nutrition” (1974).
• Ambuj Nath Bose Prize of the Royal college of Physicians, London, 1976.
Dhanvantri Award for outstanding contribution in Medical Research and
Leadership in the field of nutrition and medical research, 1978.
• Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry Award for
contribution in the field of nutrition, 1978.
• WHO-Health for All Medal, 1988.
• Sir C.V Raman Gold Medal of the IndianNationalScienceAcademy in
recognition of outstanding scientific merit, 1988.
• International Union of Nutrition Sciences Award for outstanding work on
nutritional problems of developing countries, 1989.
• R.D Birla Award for outstanding medical research, 1990.
• Awarded the Centenary Honorary Fellowship of The LondonSchool of
Hygiene and Tropical Medicine on the occasion of the Centenary
Celebrations, 1999.
CONTRIBUTION OF DR. C. GOPALAN TO THE GROWTH OF SCIENCE AND INSTITUTIONBUILDING
Founding and building up of the National Institute of Nutrition
Dr. C. Gopalan took over as the Director of Nutrition Research Laboratories in 1960. The Nutrition Research Laboratories was then, a small institution with barely half-a-dozen scientists. Within a period of ten years, he built up the Institution into a strong centre of Nutrition Research and Education. It was in 1970, ten years after his becoming Director, the Nutrition Research Laboratories was designated as the National Institute of Nutrition.Dr. Gopalan was therefore, in a real sense, the founder of the National Institute of Nutrition.
The Institution gained international importance, where hundreds of scientists not only from India, but also from South East Asian countries were trained in field of Nutrition Sciences.
Today, the National Institute of Nutrition is recognized as one of the leading Nutritional Laboratories of the world.
Instituting and guiding the Nutrition Society of India
Dr. Gopalan founded the Nutrition Society of India. The Society is today, the National Forum for nutrition scientists all over India. The society has continued for 35 years and has several hundred nutrition scientists on its roll. It is also affiliated to International Union of Nutritional Sciences (IUNS) and has hosted two Asian Congress of Nutrition, one in 1970 and the other in 2003.
Initiating Asian Congress of Nutrition series and Federation of Asian Nutrition Societies
Dr.C.Gopalan initiated the First Asian Congress of Nutrition (ACN) as its President and ensured the continuity of this effort, by setting up the Federation of Asian Nutrition Societies(FANS). The IX Asian Congress of Nutrition was again held in India under his President ship. Nearly 1500 delegated from India and Asia attended the Congress. The Congress is affiliated to International Union of Nutritional Sciences (IUNS). As current President of the Federation of Asian Nutrition Societies (FANS), Dr.Gopalan is playing a leading role in building up a forum for Asian Nutrition Scientists.
Member of WHO/FAO Expert Panel
Dr. Gopalan has been a Member of the Nutrition Expert Panel WHO/FAO from 1953 onwards and to this day he continues in this capacity. He has participated in several International Meetings of WHO/FAO, which have laid down many important regulations regarding nutritional requirements.
Presidentship of the International Union of Nutritional Sciences (IUNS)
Dr. Gopalan was elected President of the International Union of Nutritional Sciences (IUNS). He is the first scientist outside of Europe and Asia to hold this position. He presided over a successful International Congress of Nutrition in Brazil. He continues as Honorary President of the IUNS, which is affiliated to ICSU.
Chairman of the Technical World Health Assembly, 1977
He was the Chairman of the Technical Session of the World Health Assembly, WHO in 1977. It was during this session and largely because of his efforts, WHO organized a special programme for the Control of Malnutrition.
Chairman of the Task Force on Nutrition of the Planning Commission (Fifth Five Year plan)
As Chairman of the Task Force on Nutrition of India’s Planning Commission and as Chairman of the Task Force on Nutrition of India’s National Committee on Science and Technology, he was largely responsible for the nutrition component of India’s Fifth Five Year Plan. It was largely because of his leadership that substantial allocation for nutrition has been included in India’s Fifth Five Year Plan. He had also participated in Expert Committees related to subsequent Five Year Plans.
Contributions as Director-General of Indian Council of Medical Research
Dr. C. Gopalan headed the Indian Council of Medical Research from 1974 to 1979 as its Director-General. It is a tribute to his hard work and leadership that under his leadership:
- Research Programmes on priority area in the field of biomedicine had been strengthened and streamlined, and clear goals and objectives had been laid.
- Service conditions and salary scales of research workers had been improved with the result that medical research career had become relatively more attractive than hitherto.
- An All-India Talent Search Scheme had been initiated and nearly 100 talented young medical men representing the cream of young talents of the country had been inducted into research career.
- Apart from permanent institutes of the Council, “Centre of Excellence” is identified in different parts of the country and ICMR research support was extended for them.
- He was instrumental for setting up of the Malaria Research Centre, Vector Control Research Centre, and the JALMA Leprosy Research Centre and for the conversion of Tuberculosis Chemotherapy Centre of Madras into a ‘National Institute of Tuberculosis’.
Building up of Nutrition Foundation of India
In 1979, after the completion of five years of service as Director General of ICMR, the Government of India graciously offered Dr. Gopalan a further two-year extension of his service as Director General, ICMR. Dr. Gopalan politely declined this offer and preferred to get back to his work in the field of Nutrition.
The Nutrition Foundation of India was set up as a Non-Governmental Organization, a Registered Society and has continued its service to the Nation and for the cause of Nutrition Sciences for 25 years. During these years the Foundation had addressed several burning issues in the field of Nutrition like goitre, anaemia of pregnancy, low birth weights, nutrition of adolescent girls, use of rural school systems for improvement of nutrition and several other areas. In recognition of its outstanding contribution, the President dedicated the Nutrition Foundation of India to the Nation.
Today, the Nutrition Foundation of India works in close concert with the Government of India and the Planning Commission with a view to ensure that National Nutrition Programmes are well targeted to the deserving groups of population. Apart from the monthly meetings of the Study Circle Group for promotion of awareness on nutrition related knowledge, and apart from its widely read Bulletin, the Foundation had organized four International Meetings, which attracted scientists from all over the world and has helped to promote knowledge regarding the latest advances in Nutrition Sciences to Indian society.