T. C. Anand Kumar

{{Infobox scientist

| name = T. C. Anand Kumar

| image =

| alt =

| caption =

| birth_date = {{birth date|df=yes|1936|1|18}}

| birth_place = Tamil Nadu, India

| death_date = {{Death date and age|df=yes|2010|1|26|1936|6|18}}

| death_place = Bengaluru, Karnataka, India

| residence =

| nationality = Indian

| fields = Reproductive biology

| workplaces = {{ublist | All India Institute of Medical Sciences Delhi | National Institute for Research in Reproductive Health | Hope Infertility Clinic }}

| alma_mater = {{ublist | University of Jodhpur }}

| doctoral_advisor =

| doctoral_students =

| known_for = {{ublist | In vitro fertilisation | Neuroendocrinology | Primate biology }}

| awards = 1977 Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize
Sanjay Gandhi National Award

}}

Tiruchirappalli Chelvaraj Anand Kumar (1936–2010) was an Indian biologist and reproductive biologist{{cite web | url=http://www.telegraphindia.com/1080526/jsp/knowhow/story_9318588.jsp | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080529003040/http://www.telegraphindia.com/1080526/jsp/knowhow/story_9318588.jsp | url-status=dead | archive-date=29 May 2008 | title=A leg up for baby making | newspaper=The Telegraph | date=26 May 2008 | access-date=22 September 2016}} and the creator of the second scientifically documented test tube baby in India.{{cite web | url=http://www.ivf.net/ivf/the-pioneer-of-ivf-in-india-dr-t-c-anand-kumar-passes-away-o4845.html | title=The pioneer of IVF in India - Dr. T C Anand Kumar passes away | publisher=IVF.net | date=23 February 2010 | access-date=22 September 2016}}{{Refn|group=note|It was reported that the birth of Durga, the first test tube baby born in India, was pioneered by Subhas Mukhopadhyay which was subsequently acknowledged and supported by Anand Kumar.{{cite web | url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata-/Late-honour-for-test-tube-pioneer/articleshow/410920.cms?referral=PM | title=Late honour for test tube pioneer | newspaper=Times of India | date=8 January 2004 | access-date=22 September 2016}}{{cite journal | title=Nobel to IVF pioneer revives feelings of loss | author=K. S. Jayaraman | journal= Nature India| date=6 October 2010 | volume=139 | doi=10.1038/nindia.2010.139}}}} He was the founder of Hope Infertility Clinic, Bangalore and the director of the National Institute for Research in Reproductive Health (then known as Institute for Research in Reproduction).{{cite news | url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-karnataka/testtube-baby-pioneer-dead/article694616.ece | title=Test-tube baby pioneer dead | newspaper=The Hindu | date=31 January 2010 | access-date=22 September 2016}} He was an elected fellow of the Indian Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Medical Sciences and a recipient of the Sanjay Gandhi National Award.{{cite journal | url=http://www.rbmojournal.com/article/S1472-6483(10)00064-7/abstract | title=Dr. T. C. Anand Kumar (1936–2010) | author=Rajvi H. Mehta | journal=Reproductive Biomedicine Online | year=2010 | volume=20 | issue=4 | pages=443 | doi=10.1016/j.rbmo.2010.02.008| doi-access=free }} The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, the apex agency of the Government of India for scientific research, awarded him the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize for Science and Technology, one of the highest Indian science awards, in 1977, for his contributions to biological sciences.{{cite web | url=http://ssbprize.gov.in/Content/AwardeeList.aspx | title=View Bhatnagar Awardees | publisher=Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize | date=2016 | access-date=19 September 2016}}

Biography

Born on 18 January 1936 in a Tamil family in the south Indian state of Tamil Nadu, Anand Kumar did his early college studies in Bengaluru before securing a doctoral degree from the University of Jodhpur.{{cite journal | url=http://medind.nic.in/iby/t10/i3/ibyt10i3p466.pdf | title=Dr T.C. Anand Kumar - a doyen in reproductive biology | author=Rajvi H. Mehta | journal=Indian J Med Res | date=March 2010 | volume=131 | pages=446–467}} Subsequently, he went to the UK for post-doctoral research but returned to India to join the All India Institute of Medical Sciences Delhi in 1969, where he worked till 1982. Later, he moved to the Institute for Research in Reproduction, Mumbai, (present-day National Institute for Research in Reproductive Health) where he worked till his superannuation from official service and founded Hope Infertility Clinic in Bengaluru, a center for infertility clinical service.{{cite book|author=Satish Kumar Gupta|title=Reproductive Immunology|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bMjrCAAAQBAJ&pg=PR10|date=6 December 2012|publisher=Springer Science & Business Media|isbn=978-94-011-4197-0|pages=10–}}{{cite book|author=S. C. Bhatt|title=Land and People of Indian States and Union Territories: In 36 Volumes. Karnataka|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Zo5lvtslcEUC&pg=PA230|year=2006|publisher=Gyan Publishing House|isbn=978-81-7835-369-2|pages=230–}}

Kumar was married to Karpagam and the couple had a son, Vijay and a daughter, Ambika. The family lived in Bengaluru and it was here, he died on the Indian Republic Day (26 January) of 2010, at the age of 74, survived by his wife, children and three grandchildren.

India's Second test tube baby

During his tenure at the National Institute for Research in Reproductive Health, Kumar was involved in research on in-vitro fertilization and led a team which created the first official test tube baby in India. The baby, Harsha Chawda née Harsha, was born on 6 August 1986 at King Edward Memorial Hospital and Seth Gordhandas Sunderdas Medical College, Mumbai, by a caesarian section performed by Indira Hinduja.{{cite news | url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/mumbai/news/indias-first-test-tube-baby-now-a-mother/article8326111.ece | title=India's first test tube baby now a mother | newspaper=The Hindu | date=8 March 2016 | access-date=22 September 2016}}{{cite web | url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=I9RHAAAAIBAJ&sjid=po4DAAAAIBAJ&pg=6814,2022108&dq=indira+hinduja&hl=en | title=India First Test Tube Baby. | newspaper=New Straits Times | date=8 August 1986 | access-date=22 September 2016}} Subsequently, he learned of the researches of Subhash Mukherjee and of the birth of Kanupriya Agarwal (Durga) on 3 October 1978 in Kolkata under the supervision of Mukherjee.{{cite web | url=http://www.livemint.com/Leisure/d7Rt1CFT0yw5GmsoC6OgvO/The-forgotten-hero-of-IVF.html | title=The forgotten hero of IVF | publisher=Live Mint | date=14 October 2010 | access-date=22 September 2016}} Kumar checked the handwritten notes and research papers of Mukherjee and acknowledged that the first test tube baby born in India was Durga.{{Refn|group=note|Subhash Mukherjee, reportedly due to the negligence of his research accomplishment by the establishment, committed suicide on 19 June 1981.}} He delivered the Subhas Mukerji Memorial Oration at the third National Congress on Assisted Reproductive Technology and Advances in Infertility Management held in Kolkata on 8 February 1997{{cite journal | title=The Indian IVF saga: a contested history | author=Aditya Bharadwaj | journal=Reproductive Biomedicine & Society Online | date=June 2016 | volume=2 | pages=54–61 | doi=10.1016/j.rbms.2016.06.002|pmid = 29892717|pmc = 5991886}} and published an article under the title, Architect of India's first test tube baby: Dr. Subhas Mukherjee, the same year through which he established that many of Mukherjee's techniques were pioneering.{{cite journal | url=http://www.currentscience.ac.in/Downloads/article_id_072_07_0526_0531_0.pdf | title=Architect of India's first test tube baby: Dr. Subhas Mukherjee | author=T. C. Anand Kumar | journal=Current Science | date=10 April 1997 | volume=72 | issue=7}} His efforts were reported to have influenced the subsequent acceptance by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) which eventually recognized the work of Mukherjee.

Other contributions

Kumar, whose researches covered many aspects of assisted reproductive technology and the role of neuroendocrine system in reproduction, was known to have introduced a technique for endonasal administration of hormones. His researches revealed the path of gonadal hormones to the brain through cerebro-spinal fluid and his technique of endonasal administration of steroids started a contraceptive administration protocol through nasal route which resulted in the preferential transfer of contraceptives into cerebro-spinal fluid, then known to be a novel approach in contraception.{{cite web | url=http://www.csirhrdg.res.in/ssb.pdf | title=Handbook of Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize Winners | publisher=Council of Scientific and Industrial Research | date=1999 | access-date=19 September 2016 | pages=28}} He was the author of several articles detailing his researches,{{Cite journal |doi = 10.1086/412474|title = Non-Human Primate Models for Study of Human Reproduction. T. C. Anand Kumar|journal = The Quarterly Review of Biology|volume = 56|issue = 4|pages = 472–473|year = 1981|last1 = Greep|first1 = Roy O.}}{{cite journal | title=A system linking the third ventricle with the pars tuberalis of the rhesus monkey. | author=Kumar T. C., Knowles F. | journal=Nature | date=July 1967 | volume=215 | issue=5096 | pages=54–55 | pmid=4964079| doi=10.1038/215054a0 | bibcode=1967Natur.215...54A | s2cid=4190130 }} published in peer reviewed national and international journals, PubMed, an online repository of scientific papers, has listed 53 of them.{{cite journal | title=Kumar TC[Author] |volume = 24|issue = 20|pages = 1903–4| journal=Author Search | date=2016 |pmid = 20|last1 = Barthel|first1 = W.|last2 = Markwardt|first2 = F.|doi = 10.1016/0006-2952(75)90415-3}} Soon after joining the All India Institute of Medical Sciences Delhi, he established an electron microscopy laboratory in 1970 and later a neuroendocrine research laboratory at the institution.{{cite web | url=http://www.scientificindians.com/hall-of-fame/people/the-man-who-stood-for-truth-the-pioneer-of-ivf-in-india-dr-t-c-anand-kumar | title=The man who stood for truth, the pioneer of IVF in India | publisher=Scientific Indians | date=2016 | access-date=22 September 2016}} In 1988, he founded the Indian Society for the Study of Reproduction and Fertility (ISSRF) for providing a platform for researches in reproductive biology and served as its founder president.{{cite web | url=http://www.issrf.org/announcements/founder-president-dr-t-c-anand-kumar-memorial-oration | title=Founder-President Dr. T. C. Anand Kumar Memorial Oration | publisher=Indian Society for the Study of Reproduction and Fertility | date=2016 | access-date=22 September 2016}} He was a part of the Indian Council of Medical Research team which drafted the National Guidelines for Accreditation, Supervision and Regulation of ART Clinics in India in 2005.{{cite web | url=http://icmr.nic.in/art/Prilim_Pages.pdf | title=National Guidelines for Accreditation, Supervision and Regulation of ART Clinics in India | publisher=Ministry of Health and Family Welfare | date=2005 | access-date=22 September 2016}} He was also associated with organizations such as the World Health Organization and the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research and government agencies such as the Department of Science and Technology and the Department of Biotechnology as their adviser.

Awards and honors

The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research awarded Kumar the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize, one of the highest Indian science awards, in 1977 for his contributions in the field of neuroendocrinology of primate reproduction.{{cite web | url=http://ssbprize.gov.in/content/Detail.aspx?AID=383 | title=Brief Profile of the Awardee | publisher=Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize | date=2016 | access-date=19 September 2016}} The Indian Academy of Sciences elected him as a fellow in 1981{{cite web | url=http://www.ias.ac.in/describe/fellow/Anand_Kumar,_Dr_Trichnopoly_Chelvaraj | title=Fellow Profile - Anand Kumar | publisher=Indian Academy of Sciences | date=2016 | access-date=23 September 2016}} and he became a fellow of the National Academy of Medical Sciences in October 2011.{{cite web | url=http://www.nams-india.in/downloads/fellowsmembers/ZZ.pdf | title=NAMS Fellow | publisher=National Academy of Medical Sciences | date=2016 | access-date=22 September 2016}} He was also a fellow of the Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge and a recipient of the Sanjay Gandhi National Award. The Indian Society for the Study of Reproduction and Fertility has instituted an award oration, Founder-President Dr. T. C. Anand Kumar Memorial Oration in his honor.

Notes

References

External links

{{cite web | url=https://www.dur.ac.uk/asian.infertilities/news/?itemno=8158 | title=Beautiful Mind: The story of Dr. Subhas Mukherjee creator of India's first test-tube baby | publisher=University of Durham | date=13 June 2009 | access-date=22 September 2016 | author=Prithvijit Mitra; Arnab Ganguly}}
{{cite web | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cAG5Ajs-9DA | title=Published and Un-Published papers of Dr. Subhas Mukherjee | publisher=Rajeev Sarkar | work=YouTube video | date=8 July 2013 | access-date=22 September 2016}}
{{cite web | url=http://drsubhasmukherjee.com/subhas_mukherjee_memorial_institute_milestones.html | title=Milestones | publisher=Drsubashmukherjee.com | date=2016 | access-date=22 September 2016}}