Editorial

Tribute to Prof. Hari Chandra Mahanta: A Genius in Teaching and Research of Zoological Science in North East India

Hirendra Nath Sarma
Editor-in-Chief
Email: hirendra.sarma@rgu.ac.in

Prof. Hari Chandra Mahanta (1942 - 2022) established himself as genius in the research and teaching of Zoological Science in Assam. Among the academicians, researchers, scientific community he was known as HC Mahanta of Zoology Department of Gauhati University. Born in a unique place, the biggest river island of the world named "Majuli" at the heart of mighty River Brahmaputra, he grew up in the Vaishnavite Satra. Satra's thought of purity, truthfulness, sincerity, devotion and dedication for duty and responsibility has been inherited from his great parents and continued for whole life. It has been reflected in his life as a teacher, researcher and administrator during his long career of teaching and research in Gauhati University from 1966 to 2002. He pursued higher Education in Cotton College of Guwahati and then obtained Masters Degree from the Zoology Department of Gauhati University in the year 1965. Due to his brilliant academic career, Mahanta was offered the post of Lecturer of Zoology in Gauhati University, and joined the Department of Zoology of this prestigious University of Assam in the year 1966. Mahanta moved to Leningrade University (Present Saint Petersburg State University, Russia) of erstwhile USSR for doctoral research in the year 1969. He had been selected as one of best fifteen candidates of India for the Indo-USSR fellowship for doctoral research. A dedicated and hard working researcher, Mahanta obtained PhD degree in Insect Neurophysiology and came back to motherland in the year 1973. During this tenure he learned the Russian language and prepared the doctoral thesis in this foreign language only. Well known in the scientific community of India and abroad, HC Mahanta is famous for his expertise in insect biochemistry at the beginning of his research career. He produced more than a dozen of Doctoral students under his supervision from University as well as other organization of Government of India like Defense Research and Development Organization, Central Silk Board etc. Owed to his diverse interest of teaching and research, Prof. H C Mahanta established a new area of research in Animal Physiology and Biochemistry and Reproductive Physiology in the Department of Zoology, GU. From his laboratory, he established himself as a pioneer in the field of research on plant derived biomolecules, it's in vivo validation for drug development. It is Due to his non conventional innovative thinking, in vivo testing of traditional herbal medicines prevailed in Assam has been started in the Zoology Department of GU in the last decade of 20th century. It has been accredited and recognized with high quality International research publications. Prof. HC Mahanta's courageous approach of introducing new area of research in Zoology and establishing laboratory with sophistication of his time was the greatest achievement of research and teaching in north east India. His training to the doctoral researchers on innovative ideas of science created brilliant students who served in various capacities in the University of India and abroad. Prof. HC Mahanta for his visionary thought, understanding the need of technologies in finding solutions to the scientific problems makes himself genius among scientific communities. He made friends within the country and abroad and able to create an International forum of research through his own laboratory of Gauhati University.

Hirendra Nath Sarma
Professor of Zoology, Rajiv Gandhi University
Arunachal Pradesh - 791 112, India
Phone : +91 94360 59038