Sadhan Basu received his DSc from the University of Kolkata in 1948. He specialized in quantum chemistry and photochemistry. His significant contribution was in the fields of polymer chemistry and free radical polymerization. He also established the role of the highest field molecular orbital in determining the charge transfer frequency and demonstrated the existence of the vibrational structure in charge transfer bands in solutions. He was awarded the S S Bhatnagar Award in 1965. He was a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry, London, the Indian Academy of Sciences, Bangalore and the Indian Chemical Society.

Monkombu Sambisivan Swaminathan obtained his PhD from the University of Cambridge in 1952. He did significant work in crop genetics and sustainable agricultural development in India. His pioneering research includes classification and genetics of polypoid plants, Potato, dwarf coconut, bread wheat, nuclear cytology of yeasts and monosomic analysis in wheat. He was the recipient of the Ramon Magsaysay Award, the Albert Einstein World Science Award, the World Food Prize, the Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement, the Four Freedoms Award, S S Bhatnagar Award, Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan and Padma Vibhushan.

16-17 October, 2023

At Long Beach, CA, United States.