The Government of India has announced the Padma Awards on Republic day eve as per convention. Animal Husbandry industry bestowed with the Padma Shri award is Dr. MotiLal Madan, Dr. Sosamma Iype, Dr. Subbhanna Ayyappan.
Dr. Motilal Madan, the creator of the first IVF buffalo calf has been honored with the Padma Shri Award. A professional veterinarian with a total experience of over 50 years in the National Agricultural Research System (NARS) in India and other developing countries in the areas of Research, Teaching, Extension, Research Management, and Infrastructure Development in the broad fields of Agriculture, Livestock, Veterinary, and Agricultural Production Systems.
Dr. Motilal was born in the year 1939 in Srinagar. After completing his schooling, he obtained his BVSc & AH degree from Punjab College of Veterinary Science & Animal Husbandry, after which he obtained his Master’s degree from National Dairy Research Institute, and after which he went to America to study Ph.D.
For much successful research done for animals, Dr. MotiLal has got a different and unique identity not only in India but around the world. Dr. MotiLal’s work can be understood from the fact that he is now being called the clone maker of animals. During his services at the National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal, Haryana, he successfully tested the IVF technique on animals and gave birth to 10 calves within a year from a single buffalo.
Dr. Madan has published 432 research articles and policy papers in international and national reference journals, including 226 original research papers.
Dr. Sosamma Iype, a retired Veterinary Professor & Researcher of Animal Breeding & Genetics from Kerala Veterinary and Animal Science University, Mannuthy, Trichur.
Dr. Iype, who is known as “Vechur ‘s Amma”, saved the rare breed of Vechur cow from the brink of extinction and put up tremendous efforts to increase its population. In 1989, she set up an organization named Vechur Conservation Unit, which looks after the Vechur breed of Kerala. This unit has been looking after the conservation of not just Vechur cows but all other indigenous breeds of Kerala too.
She initiated research in Progeny testing of Dairy bulls with farmers’ cows in Kerala and developed prediction factors for 305 -day milk yield using single-day test records.
Vechur cow, an indigenous cattle breed of Kerala, is the smallest breed in the world. Vechur cow yields the maximum milk in the world for a cow of its size.
Dr. S. Ayyappan has been conferred Padma Shri for his significant contributions to science & engineering, particularly in the field of Agriculture and Farming. Dr. Ayyappan is a former secretary in the Department of agricultural research and education and director-general of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research and currently serving as chairman of the Karnataka Science and Technology Academy (KSTA)
Dr. Subbanna Ayyappan (67) is a crop and environment scientist who has obtained his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in fish production and management from the College of Fisheries, Mangalore, and his Ph.D. from Bangalore University.
His research fields included fisheries, freshwater aquaculture, and aquatic microbiology.
