Biography:Palpu Pushpangadan

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Palpu Pushpangadan
Born23 January 1944
Prakkulam, Kollam, Kerala, India
Died (aged 81)
Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India
CitizenshipIndia
Known forDevelopment of Jeevani drug
AwardsPadma Shri
Borlaug Award
Dingra Memorial Award
John W. Harshberger Medal
UN-Equator Initiative Prize
Ayurved Gaurav Award
Dr. A P J Abdul Kalam Memorial -NABS -Life time achievement Award
Scientific career
FieldsBotany
Institutions

Palpu Pushpangadan (23 January 1944 – 19 December 2025) was an Indian ethnobiologist and botanist, who was a director of the National Botanical Research Institute (NBRI), Lucknow. He was also the director of the Tropical Botanical Garden and Research Institute (TBGRI), Palode, Kerala.[1], Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology (RGCB), Thiruvananthapuram and Central Institute for Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (CIMAP), Lucknow.

A Fellow of the National Academy of Sciences, India and National Academy of Agricultural Sciences,[2] He was known for the development of Jeevani, a formulation developed from the medicinal plant, Arogyapacha (Trichopus zeylanicus), which was found to enhance immunity in humans and the 'TBGRI-Kani Model' of Benefit sharing. [3] He received the Padmashri Award from the Government of India in 2010.[4]

Life and career

Born on 23 January 1944 at Prakkulam in Kollam district in Travancore, Pushpangadan was known for his contribution to plant sciences. He was educated at SNDP High School, Neeravil (1961), Sree Narayana College Kollam (1962-65), Aligarh Muslim University (1966-75) and started career at Regional Research Laboratory (renamed IIIM in 2007), Jammu (1969-1990)[5][6] He got multidisciplinary training in cytogenetics, plant breeding, bioprospecting, biotechnology, conservation biology, ethnobiology, ethnopharmacology and pharmacognosy.

Pushpangadan published about 515 research papers/articles in various national and international journals, authored/edited 26 books, contributed 41 chapters in books in taxonomy, plant breeding, conservation biology, biotechnology, ethnobiology, ethnopharmacology and Intellectual property, etc. Filed/Awarded 232 patents in herbal drugs/products jointly with other scientists.[7][8][9][10] 15 of his patented products are already commercialized.[11] He was a recipient of several awards and honors which include Dingra Memorial Award (1980, 1983), Borlaug Award (1998),[12] John W. Harshberger Medal (2001), UN-Equator Initiative Prize (2002), Ayurved Gaurav Award (2009), and Dr. A P J Abdul Kalam Memorial -NABS -Life time achievement award (2020).[2]

Pushpangadan died on 19 December 2025, at the age of 81.[11]

Eponymy

Garcinia pushpangadaniana T.Sabu, N.Mohanan, Krishnaraj & Shareef (Clusiaceae), Heptapleurum pushpangadanii (Chakrab.) G.M.Plunkett & Lowry (Araliaceae), Ischaemum pushpangadanii Ravi, N.Mohanan & Kiran Raj (Poaceae), Meliola pushpangadanii Hosag. & T.K.Abraham (Meliolaceae), Myristica pushpangadaniana M.G.Govind & Dan ex Kottaim.(Myristicaceae), Pedicularis pushpangadanii T.Husain & Arti Garg (Orobanchaceae), Schefflera pushpangadanii Chakrab. (Araliaceae),[13]

The standard author abbreviation Pushp. is used to indicate this person as the author when citing a botanical name.[14]

References

  1. ↑ "Previous Director" (in en-US). https://jntbgri.res.in/previous-director/. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "National Academy of Agricultural Sciences". https://naas.org.in/detail.php?id=370. 
  3. ↑ IANS (December 19, 2025). "Pushpangadan, ‘Jeevani’ pioneer who ensured tribal share in science, passes away" (in en). https://ianslive.in/jeevani-pioneer-who-ensured-tribal-share-in-science-dr-p-pushpangadan-passes-away--20251219144633. 
  4. ↑ "Padma Shri Awardees". Government of India. http://india.gov.in/myindia/padmashri_awards_list1.php?start=40. 
  5. ↑ "P. Pushpangadan, plant scientist and ethnobiologist, passes away aged 81" (in en-IN). The Hindu. December 19, 2025. ISSN 0971-751X. https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/p-pushpangadan-plant-scientist-and-ethnobiologist-passes-away-aged-81/article70415997.ece. 
  6. ↑ Daily, Keralakaumudi. "Scientist Passes Away" (in ml). https://keralakaumudi.com/news/news.php?id=1667010&u=dr.-p-pushpangadan-passes-away. 
  7. ↑ "Profile: Dr P Pushpangadan – Gitamritam" (in en-US). https://www.gitamritam.com/profile-palpu/. 
  8. ↑ "Palpu Pushpangadan". https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=qgHdQ_sAAAAJ&hl=en. 
  9. ↑ "Glimpses of Indian ethnopharmacology" (in en). https://wellcomecollection.org/works/azwjfgjp. 
  10. ↑ "P. Pushpangadan - Semantic Scholar" (in en). https://www.semanticscholar.org/author/P.-Pushpangadan/4190448. 
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 "Dr. P. Pushpangadan passed away" (in en). December 19, 2025. https://www.mathrubhumi.com/environment/news/dr-p-pushpangadan-passes-away-ethnobotanist-w8geaqyq. 
  12. ↑ "Borlaug Award To Go To Three Conservationists" (in en-US). https://www.business-standard.com/article/specials/borlaug-award-to-go-to-three-conservationists-198032801103_1.html. 
  13. ↑ "Binomials in honor of Dr Palpu Pushpangadan". https://powo.science.kew.org/results?q=pushpangadanii. 
  14. ↑ IPNI,  Pushp., http://www.ipni.org/ipni/advAuthorSearch.do?find_abbreviation=Pushp. 

Template:2000s Padma Shri Award Recipients in Science & Engineering



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