Pramod Tandon

Pramod Tandon
Born	(1950-10-06) 6 October 1950 (age 74) Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India
Occupation	Academic
Spouse	Veena Tandon
Children	1

Pramod Tandon is an India Plant Biotechnologist and academic. He is a former Professor of Botany & Vice-Chancellor of North-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.

Early life and education

Tandon was born on 6 October 1950, at Lucknow. He received his BSc degree in 1969 and MSc (Botany) in 1971 from Lucknow University.^[1] He obtained his PhD from Jodhpur University in 1976. In 1977, he joined the North-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 the University 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.

Personal life

Tandon is married to Veena Tandon, a parasitologist and former Professor of North-Eastern Hill University,^[2] Shillong, and they have a son, Prateek.^[3]

Career

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 by NAAC.^[5]

In addition to his position as Vice-Chancellor, Tandon helped in establishment of Rajiv Gandhi Indian Institute of Management, Shillong as its Project Director.^[1]

Tandon hosted the 96th Indian Science Congress at NEHU during January 2009.^[1][6]

Tandon served as a member of the National 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 in micropropagation, 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, including molecular and cytological basis of rarity of endangered 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 of Capsicum chinense (Naga King Chilli - one of the hottest chillies of the world)^{[30][31][32][33][34][35]}

Tandon has published more than 200 research papers in journals and edited 4 books on biodiversity and biotechnology.^[36][37][38]

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 the National 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]

Awards

Tandon is the recipient of a number awards and recognitions, including:

• Padma Shri (2009)^[40][41] awarded by the President of India
• Award of Millennium Plaques of Honour (2008–2009)^[42] of Indian Science Congress Association, received from Hon’ble Prime Minister of India
• Prof. A.R. Chavan Memorial Lecture Award (2013) of the M.S. University of Baroda^[43]
• Biodiversity Lecture Award (2013) of National Academy of Sciences, India^[44]
• Prof. Saligram Sinha Memorial Lecture Award (2011) of the National Academy of Sciences, India^[44]
• Professor R.N. Tandon Memorial Lecture Award (2008) of the National Academy of Sciences, India^[44]
• Gadgil Memorial Lecture Award (2006) of Plant Tissue Culture Association of India (2006)^[1]
• Dr. T.N. Khoshoo Memorial Lecture Award (2006) of The Orchid Society of India^[1]
• Professor Panchanan Maheshwari Medal Award (2004) of Indian Botanical Society^[45]
• B.P. Pal National Environment Fellowship Award on Biodiversity (2002–2004), Ministry of Environment & Forests, Government of India^[1]
• Platinum Jubilee Lecture Award (2000) of Indian Science Congress Association^[1]
• Science and Technology Agency Research Award (1994 & 1995) for Foreign Scientists by Prime Minister's Office, Government of Japan^[1]
• National Scholarship for Study Abroad (1978 1980), Ministry of Education, Government of India^[1]
• Merit Scholarship (1965 1967) from U.P. Government^[1]

References

1. "Prof. P.Tandon, Botany Dept.,NEHU,Shillong-793022". Nehu.ac.in. 6 October 1950. Retrieved 30 April 2015.
2. "Profile - VEENA TANDON (VeenaTandon)". PeerJ. Retrieved 30 April 2015.
3. "Minimizing Remote Accesses in MapReduce Clusters". Computer.org. Retrieved 30 April 2015.
4. "The Telegraph - Calcutta : Northeast". Telegraphindia.com. 14 September 2005. Archived from the original on 15 April 2015. Retrieved 30 April 2015.
5. "Official Website of North-Eastern Hill University, Shillong-793022". Nehu.ac.in. Retrieved 30 April 2015.
6. "96th Indian Science Congress Brochure" (PDF). Iscexpo.in. Retrieved 30 April 2015.
7. "Net access, direct flights, health top NAC plan to develop N-E | Business Line". Thehindubusinessline.com. Retrieved 30 April 2015.
8. "The Assam Tribune Online". Assamtribune.com. 24 April 2012. Retrieved 30 April 2015.
9. "NAC proposes Medical colleges for Northeast region | Kalvimalar - News". Dinamalar. 26 November 2012. Archived from the original on 31 January 2016. Retrieved 30 April 2015.
10. "NAC pitches for growth of Northeast region". Deccanherald.com. 25 November 2012. Retrieved 30 April 2015.
11. "NAC pitches for development of Northeast region | Zee News". Zeenews.india.com. 25 November 2012. Retrieved 30 April 2015.
12. "NE development not on track: Panel". The Shillong Times. 30 November 2012. Retrieved 30 April 2015.
13. "NAC pitches for development of Northeast region | Business Standard News". Business Standard India. Business-standard.com. Press Trust of India. 25 November 2012. Retrieved 30 April 2015.
14. "National Advisory Council suggest for comprehensive telecom plan exclusive to North Eastern region - timesofindia-economictimes". Articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com. 3 December 2012. Archived from the original on 17 June 2013. Retrieved 30 April 2015.
15. "North Eastern Region Vision 2020 Brochure" (PDF). Mdoner.gov.in. Retrieved 30 April 2015.
16. "North Eastern Region Vision 2020 Annexures Brochure" (PDF). Mdoner.gov.in. Retrieved 30 April 2015.
17. Bhaumik, Subir (10 November 2005). "South Asia | Battle to save Himalayan plants". BBC News. Retrieved 30 April 2015.
18. "Nymphaea tetragona: a rare and endangered plant of Meghalaya, India (Plant Talk feature)". Plant-talk.org. Retrieved 30 April 2015.
19. Das Bhowmik SS, Kumaria S, Tandon P (2011). "Long-term conservation through cryopreservation of immature seed of Mantisia spathulata and Mantisia wengeri; two endangered plants of north-east India". Cryo Letters. 32 (6): 498–505. PMID 22227710.
20. 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. JSTOR 23433623.
21. Rathore, T.S.; Tandon, P.; Shekhawat, N.S. (1991). "In Vitro Regeneration of Pitcher Plant (Nepenthes khasiana Hook. f.) — A rare Insectivorous Plant of India". Journal of Plant Physiology. 139 (2): 246–8. doi:10.1016/S0176-1617(11)80617-6.
22. 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. PMID 25616932. S2CID 14623168.
23. 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. S2CID 8822527.
24. 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. S2CID 85148386.
25. Biswal, Devendra Kumar; Debnath, Manish; Kumar, Shakti; Tandon, Pramod (2012). "Phylogenetic reconstruction in the order Nymphaeales: ITS2 secondary structure analysis and in silico testing of maturase k (matK) as a potential marker for DNA bar coding". BMC Bioinformatics. 13 (Suppl 17): S26. doi:10.1186/1471-2105-13-S17-S26. PMC 3521246. PMID 23282079.
26. Sharma, S. K.; Bhowmik, S. S. D.; Kumaria, S.; Tandon, P.; Rama Rao, S. (2012). "Low genetic diversity as revealed by SPAR methods possibly leads to extinction of two critically-endangered and endemic species of Mantisia". Biologia Plantarum. 56 (2): 292–300. doi:10.1007/s10535-012-0089-z. S2CID 14784393.
27. Dkhar, Jeremy; Kumaria, Suman; Rao, Satyawada Rama; Tandon, Pramod (2011). "Sequence characteristics and phylogenetic implications of the nrDNA internal transcribed spacers (ITS) in the genus Nymphaea with focus on some Indian representatives". Plant Systematics and Evolution. 298 (1): 93–108. doi:10.1007/s00606-011-0526-z. S2CID 17117125.
28. 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. JSTOR 23727996. S2CID 56265714.
29. Dkhar, Jeremy; Kumaria, Suman; Tandon, Pramod (2011). "Molecular adaptation of the chloroplast matK gene in Nymphaea tetragona, a critically rare and endangered plant of India". Plant Genetic Resources. 9 (2): 193–6. doi:10.1017/S1479262111000396. S2CID 86164271.
30. 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. S2CID 15352163.
31. 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. S2CID 17013599.
32. 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. PMID 24141419. S2CID 5285755.
33. Kehie, Mechuselie; Kumaria, Suman; Tandon, Pramod (2013). "In vitro plantlet regeneration from cotyledon segments of Capsicum chinense Jacq. cv. Naga King Chili, and determination of capsaicin content in fruits of in vitro propagated plants by High Performance Liquid Chromatography". Scientia Horticulturae. 164: 1–8. doi:10.1016/j.scienta.2013.08.018.
34. Kehie, Mechuselie; Kumaria, Suman; Tandon, Pramod (2012). "Osmotic stress induced-capsaicin production in suspension cultures of Capsicum chinense Jacq.cv. Naga King Chili". Acta Physiologiae Plantarum. 34 (5): 2039–44. doi:10.1007/s11738-012-0991-1. S2CID 17828592.
35. Kehie, Mechuselie; Kumaria, Suman; Tandon, Pramod (2012). "In vitro plantlet regeneration from nodal segments and shoot tips of Capsicum chinense Jacq. cv. Naga King Chili". 3 Biotech. 2 (1): 31–35. doi:10.1007/s13205-011-0025-5. PMC 3339594. PMID 22582155.
36. "I.K International Publishing House Pvt. Ltd". Ikbooks.com. Retrieved 30 April 2015.
37. [1] Archived 17 April 2015 at the Wayback Machine
38. Advances in Plant Tissue Culture in India] Tandon Pramod, Pragati Prakashan (Meerut) ISBN 9788183988766
39. "Summary Record of Discussion of the Fourteenth Meeting of Scientific Advisory Committee to the Cabinet" (PDF). Psa.gov.in. Retrieved 30 April 2015.
40. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 November 2016. Retrieved 1 May 2015.
41. "List of Padma awardees 2009". The Hindu. 26 January 2009. Retrieved 30 April 2015.
42. [2] Archived 24 May 2012 at the Wayback Machine
43. "'Green Revolution alone can't eliminate hunger' - The Times of India". Timesofindia.indiatimes.com. 8 August 2013. Retrieved 30 April 2015.
44. "The National Academy of Sciences, India - Awardee". Nasi.org.in. Retrieved 30 April 2015.
45. "Welcome to Official Website of The Indian Botanical Society". Indianbotsoc.org. Archived from the original on 14 August 2015. Retrieved 30 April 2015.

External links

• North-Eastern Hill University
• Ministry of Education, Government of India
• [3]