By Shashank P. R.
The Entomological Society of India (ESI) has announced the 2023 ESI Senior Entomologist, ESI Young Entomologist, ESI Best Teacher Awards, ESI Best PhD Thesis Award and ESI Industry Award to recognize the outstanding contributions of Indian scientists and industry in Entomology. Founded in 1938, ESI is one of India's oldest and largest scientific societies, dedicated to advancing entomological knowledge and celebrating significant research and innovations. In 2020, ESI introduced the Young Entomologist Award, followed by the Senior Entomologist Award, ESI Best Ph.D. Thesis Award in 2021 and ESI Best Teacher Award in 2022. In 2023, the ESI Industry Award was also introduced.
The 2023 awards recognize two teacher, three senior scientists for their contributions to entomological research, four young researchers, four exceptional Ph.D. theses and three industry personals. A brief account of the awardees and their achievements is provided below.
ESI-Best Teacher Awardees 2023
Dr. Badal Bhattacharyya from Assam Agricultural University, Jorhat, Assam has made excellent scientific contributions in the field of crop protection. He has 28 years of illustrious experience in research and teaching and guided 22 M.Sc. and Ph.D. students. His notable achievements include first report of Indian Phytophagous scarab beetle, a biennial species of white grub, Lepidiota mansueta from Majuli river island, Assam. He led an exemplary non-chemical innovative approach targeting flood and erosion prone farmers of the island saving crop losses and farmers income of more than Rs. 5.0 crores from the perils of this atypical grub in Majuli Island, aspirant of world heritage site of UNESCO. His research on white grub management was nationally recognized by ICAR by bestowing the prestigious Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed Award and HK Jain award, CAU Manipur in NER; India Book of Records for unprecedented beetle catch within specified time and mobilizing social engineering; Excellent AINP on Soil Arthropod Pest Centre as PI in AAU, Jorhat, etc. He made the first ever attempt from India to convert a ‘Pest into cuisine’. He also developed two herbal jatropha oil based veterinary drugs having excellent pharmaceutical and cosmetic properties, developed novel methods of preparing biopesticides/insecticidal mixtures to be explored in organic & natural farming. Besides, analyzing food value of 18 edible insect species and 5 snails, he has developed 15 proven technologies for managing different insect pests.
Dr. S. Subramanian from ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi has a specialization in Insect Physiology and Molecular Biology with over 29 years of experience in Entomological Research, Teaching and Extension. His contributions to the molecular characterization of insects are evidenced by over 1500 Gen Bank accessions of insect genes and gut bacterial isolates of pest and beneficial insects. He has contributed to the molecular characterization of insecticide/phosphine resistance in insect pests. His contributions to beneficial insects include the isolation and characterization of novel gut bacteria from the mulberry silkworm, Bombyx mori, Muga silkworm Antheraea assamensis and honeybees Apis mellifera leading to the development of probiotics for sustainable silk/honey yield. Presently he is working on genome-wide analysis and functional characterization of odorant-binding/chemosensory/odorant receptor genes/ proteins in whiteflies towards developing novel management strategies. He acquired Ph.D. from IARI (1994) with specialization in Insect Physiology Molecular Entomology and Post Doctoral training at the Oxford University, UK (2009). He is teaching Entomology courses for UG/PG & Ph.D programmes at ICAR- IARI, (2010 – till date) and earlier at TNAU, Coimbatore during 2004-10, he taught over 200 course credits and >1700 credit hours in the past two decades. He is actively involved in capacity building of students on Insect Molecular Biology as course teacher and as Course Director/Coordinator for more than ten training programmes /Workshops and >500 students across India. Mentored two International Post Doctoral Fellows under C.V. Raman Fellowship and DST programmes and guided 12 M. Sc & Ph. D students so far.
ESI Senior Entomologist Awardees 2023
Dr. Gandhi Gracy Ramasamy from ICAR-NBAIR, has made significant contributions to insect genomics and pest management. Her work includes DNA barcoding over 350 insect species, leading to the identification of 14 new species and three new genera, aiding farmers in accurate insect identification. Her research on insecticide resistance has uncovered critical genes and pathways in key pests, while her sequencing of five insect genomes and four transcriptomes has advanced understanding of pest biology. Published more than 65 research articles in differnet journals. She is associated in development of MODII, a comprehensive database on Indian insects' genomic information, and AGIS, a tool for storing arthropod genetic resource data. She also identified 40 novel genes from Maconellicoccus hirsutus and explored the gut microbiota's role in resistance through metagenomic analysis, significantly advancing pest management strategies.
Dr. Rajashekar Y, Principal Scientist at CSIR-CFTRI, Mysuru, specializes in post-harvest pest management and eco-friendly pest control measures. His multidisciplinary research focuses on natural fumigants and bioactive molecules derived from plants, which are evaluated for their potential as biodegradable biopesticides. His innovations aim to protect grains, spices, and processed foods from stored pest infestations. Additionally, he explored edible insects ecological and economic benefits, particularly in Northeast India, for food and medicinal use. With more than five funded research projects and 76 publications, including in high impact journals, Dr. Rajashekar’s work reflects his commitment to advancing sustainable pest control using green chemicals.
Dr. Satnam Singh, Senior Entomologist at PAU, Punjab, worked on cotton and sugarcane pest management. He has contributed to the release of 24 cotton and five sugarcane varieties, developed 24 pest management technologies, and completed 20 competitive research projects. Deeply engaged with farmers, Dr. Singh has conducted over 372 frontline demonstrations, adaptive research trials, and educational programs. Internationally, he has served as an Extension Specialist in Nigeria and a visiting researcher at Texas A&M. His accolades include the Raman Postdoctoral Fellowship, the Food Beacon Fellowship, and the Nuffic Fellowship for IPM training. With over 82 research papers, numerous awards, and extensive outreach efforts, Dr. Singh is a leader in entomological research and agricultural extension.
ESI Young Entomologist Awardees 2023
Dr. Fazil Hasan has made significant contributions to sustainable agriculture and pest management. His research in ecotoxicology minimizes pesticide impacts on non-target species, while his eco-friendly Integrated Pest Management (IPM) strategies reduce reliance on chemicals through biological agents and cultural practices. He advanced biological control by enhancing mass-rearing of parasitoids like Habrobracon hebetor and developed thresholds for biocontrol agents managing Parthenium weed. Dr. Hasan's research has elucidated key biological processes in pest species, such as Chilo partellus, leading to novel control methods. His work on the genetic regulation of diapause in C. partellus. Dr. Hasan’s interdisciplinary approach and expertise in insect genetics, physiology, and statistical modelling helped him to publish in reputed journals.
Dr. N. R. Prasannakumar, a Senior Scientist at ICAR-IIHR, Bengaluru, has significantly advanced pest management. He documented pollinators diversity in cole crop in the mid hills of Himalayas. He worked in Bill and Melinda gates foundation whitefly project at NRI, University of Greenwich, UK through DST-SERB, Govt of India overseas fellowship. He uncovered endosymbiotic dynamics in Bemisia tabaci, identifying virus-vector interactions crucial for pest control strategies. He assessed insecticide resistance in Phthorimaea absoluta from South India and identified involvement of four new CYP genes. Dr. Prasannakumar has also developed a diagnostic kit for quick field detection of insecticide resistance and botanically based eco-friendly formulations, such as emulsifiable concentrates from Annona squamosa and essential oils from Ocimum basilicum. His contributions support organic farming and sustainable pest management, with numerous publications and accolades to his name, including the Dr. S. Pradhan Gold Medal.
Dr. Richa Varshney, from ICAR-NBAIR, has established protocols for rearing predatory bugs such as Geocoris ochropterus and parasitoids like Chelonus formosanus. These innovations are transforming pest management in protected cultivation systems. Her efforts include developing a comprehensive database of biocontrol production units and transferring biocontrol technologies to farmers through demonstrations. With 16 technologies, >40 research papers, and prestigious awards like the Young Woman Scientist Award and SBA Fellowship, Dr. Varshney has significantly impacted biological control and sustainable farming.
Dr. Sagar D.’s entomological research combines basic and applied approaches, focusing on reducing crop losses is from ICAR-NBAIR. He developed pest forewarning models for Helicoverpa armigera and Spodoptera exigua in chickpea, aiding in resistance breeding. His innovations include rearing procedures for Spodoptera frugiperda, a transcriptome database, also documented and described a rare phenomenon in insect world, bilateral type of gynandromorphism in fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda and insights into thermal stress on pest physiology. Dr. Sagar has guided students who have achieved national recognition and published over 50 research papers. His dedication to pest management and agricultural has earned him numerous awards, including the DST INSPIRE fellowship.
ESI Best PhD Thesis Awardees 2023
Dr. Keerthi MC's research on "Evaluation of Eco-Friendly Pest Management Techniques for Promoting Organic Cultivation of Cauliflower," addresses critical challenges in sustainable agriculture. Conducted at IARI, New Delhi, the study emphasizes eco-friendly strategies for managing pests like mustard aphid (Lipaphis erysimi) and diamondback moth (Plutella xylostella), which threaten cauliflower production. Field trials (2017–2022) revealed the biotic potential of these pests across brassica hosts and identified effective techniques to balance pest control and environmental sustainability. He published more than 4 research papers from this work in international journal.
Dr. Mogili Ramaiah has advanced our understanding of leafhopper species associated with bamboo in India. His extensive explorations across 12 states resulted in an annotated checklist covering 12 tribes, 38 genera, and 65 species, with the discovery of five new genera and 11 new species. He resolved issues of misidentification caused by color polymorphism through molecular phylogenetic analysis, revealing the paraphyletic nature of tribes. Dr. Ramaiah's academic excellence has been recognized with numerous awards and with over 10 research papers, and multiple accolades for poster presentations, his contributions has impacted taxonomic studies of leafhoppers.
Dr. Muthukatturaja M has made notable contributions to entomology by publishing descriptions of 18 new species of mayflies and authoring 16 research papers in high-impact journals for his PhD work titled “Taxonomy, bio–ecology, distribution and conservation priorities of Mayfly (Insecta: Ephemeroptera) in selected streams of Southern Western Ghats, India”. In his work, conservation priorities of mayfly communities were analyzed through various knowledge shortfalls with regard to the Western Ghats mayflies. A checklist and dichotomous key for the larvae of mayfly in the Western Ghats, and key for the larvae and adult (male imago) of the newly described species were provided.
Dr. Neenu Augustine has significantly advanced the study of broad and yellow mites (Polyphagotarsonemus latus). Her research assessed field populations' susceptibility to acaricides and highlighted resistance risks using laboratory-selected populations. Through de novo transcriptome sequencing, Dr. Neenu established genomic resources and identified 24 novel cytochrome P450 monooxygenase genes. Her findings, published in reputed journals, are pivotal for pest management. She is a recipient of the DST INSPIRE Fellowship for her research.
ESI INDUSTRY AWARD 2023: The Entomological Society of India (ESI) has taken a significant step forward in recognizing excellence within the industry by introducing the ESI Industry Awards 2023. These awards aim to honour individuals and organizations making outstanding contributions to the field of entomology. In its inaugural edition, the society has announced three awardees: Dr. Shanthakumar SP from Reckitt Benckiser, Mr. Sriram from Ocean Agro, and Mr. Ujjwal Kumar from E&G Pathway, for their remarkable contributions to advancing the field of entomology.
The ESI Award Committee has conceived new recognition this year, the ESI Certificate of Appreciation, to honour outstanding contributions to the field of entomology. The recipients of this honour are Dr. Subhash Rajpurohit, Associate Professor at Ahmedabad University, Gujarat and Dr. K. Suresh, Associate Professor at TNAU, Tamil Nadu.
Indian Entomologist team congratulate all the awardees.
Shashank P. R., is a Senior Scientist (Entomology) at the Division of Entomology, ICAR- Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi. His field of specialization is insect taxonomy and invasive pests. He is the Founding Managing Editor of Indian Entomologist.
Email: spathour@gmail.com
Disclaimer: The contents, style, language, plagiarism, references, mention of any products if any, etc., are the sole responsibility of the authors.
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