ARS principal scientist Dr. P V Satyanarayana Honoured with Dr. MS Swaminathan Award

Hyderabad: Dr. P V Satyanarayana, Principal Scientist at the Agricultural Research Station, Acharya N.G. Ranga Agricultural University, Ragolu, has been awarded the prestigious 8th Dr. MS Swaminathan Award for his outstanding contributions to the field of agriculture during the period 2021-2022. This award was presented at an event at Indian Institute of Rice Research (IIRR), Hyderabad on Sunday.

This biennial national award, jointly constituted by the Retired ICAR (Indian Council of Agricultural Research) Employees Association (RICAREA) and Nuziveedu Seeds Limited (NSL), includes a cash prize of Rs. 2 Lakhs and a Gold Medal.

Dr. Himanshu Pathak, Director General (DG), ICAR and Secretary, Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE) was the chief guest at the event. Dr. R.S. Paroda, Former DR, ICAR and Secretary, DARE, Dr. E.A.Siddiq, Former DDG (CS), ICAR, Dr. A.K.Singh, Direcgtor, ICAR-IARI, New Delhi, Sri. M. Prabhakar Rao, Chairman & MD, NSL Companies and Dr. R.M. Sundaram, Director, ICAR-IIRR participated in the event.

Dr. Satyanarayana's pioneering work involves the development of high-yielding rice varieties that exhibit resilience against various pests and environmental challenges, including BPH, BLB, Blast, Submergence, and salinity. Additionally, he has made substantial contributions to fine-grain varieties and hybrid rice that have revolutionized agriculture across India.

Dr. P V Satyanarayana, currently serving as the Principal Scientist at the Agricultural Research Station, Acharya N.G. Ranga Agricultural University boasts an impressive list of awards and honors in recognition of his dedication and excellence in agricultural research. Some of his notable achievements include the National Award as Team Leader for the Best Golden Jubilee AICIP Centre Award in 2015, the Best Scientist Award by the Seedman Association in 2021, and several other prestigious accolades.

The first M.S. Swaminathan award for the biennium 2004-2005 was presented to Dr. Genda Lal Jain, a leading Poultry Scientist, on 27th October 2005. The subsequent awards have been presented as follows:

2006-2007 – Dr. B. Prakash, Scientist, NDRI

2008-2009 - Dr. S. Nagarajan, Eminent Plant Pathologist & Former Director IARI

2010-2011 - Dr. S.R. SaiKumar, Maize Breeder & Ex Project Coordinator, ICAR & Dr. N. Shobha Rani, Principal Scientist in Rice Breeding, IIRR

2012 - 2013 - Dr. Surender Lal Goswami, Eminent Animal Geneticist - Breeder & Former Director NAARM

2015 - 2016 - Dr. R.R. Hanchinal, Eminent Plant Breeder and Seed Production Specialist, Chairperson of Protection of Plant Varieties & Farmers’ Rights Authority, GOI, New Delhi

2017 – 2019 – Dr. V Praveen Rao, Vice Chancellor of Professor Jayashankar Telangana State Agricultural University.