Prof. Brahma SinghProf. Brahma Singh PhD (Horticulture)is Padma Shri Awardee- the fourth highest Indian Civilian Award. He is a Fellow of NAAS, NABS, IAHS, ISVS, AFST(I), BVd, ISNS, Hon. FISAE. Prof. Singh is Founder Chairman, Prof Brahma Singh Horticulture Foundation, Delhi; Founder President, Indian Society for Protected Cultivation, New Delhi; President, Indian Society of Vegetable Science, Varanasi; Former President of Society of New Age Herbals; Member, Planning Board, Ladakh UT. He had the privilege to work under Dr AP J Abdul Kalam, former President of India both in DRDO and at President House, New Delhi. He is known for his contributions in greening of Leh valley - a cold Himalayan desert, protected horticulture in the country and exploitation of natural growth of Sea buckthorn/Brahmphal in Ladakh, UT besides developing root-knot nematode varieties of tomato, several varieties of different vegetables suitable for higher Himalayan region. He is organizerof BSHF series of webinars since last two years. A monograph on Life Sciences Research in DRDO for the Service of Soldiers have been released which is compiled by Prof. Singh. Contact: 09818313660 (For details Google Wikipedia/Brahma Singh)Dr. Pritam KaliaDr. Kalia headed the Vegetable Science Division, at ICAR-IARI, New Delhi for more than six years and contributed significantly in overall modernization of division. He also served as ICAR-Emeritus Scientist for full term and worked on a very important futuristic topic entitled, “Advances in biotic stress resistance breeding and β carotene biofortification in Indian cauliflower and nutraceutical mapping in carrot”. Dr. Kalia developed 33 varieties of different vegetable crops with major contributions in exotic vegetables, nutraceutical and resistance breeding and genetic mechanisms facilitating hybrid breeding in cauliflower and carrot. He is credited with introduction of new vegetable crops in India such as broccoli, leek developing their indigenous varieties and popularized them. He identified genes (Xca1bo & Xca1bc), which impart resistance to black rot disease in cauliflower being bred into commercial varieties through marker assisted breeding. Dr. Kalia has introgressed beta-carotene enhancing Or gene in Indian cauliflower which will go a long way in tackling beta-carotene malnutrition problem in India. For his outstanding contribution to Vegetable Science, he was awarded VASVIK Award, IAHS Shivshkthi lifetime achievement Award and Rafi Ahmed Kidwai Award of ICAR.
