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| awards = {{unbulleted list|[[File:IND Padma Vibhushan BAR.png|30px]] [[Padma Vibhushan]]|[[File:IND Padma Bhushan BAR.png|30px]] [[Padma Bhushan]]|[[Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize]]|[[File:IND Padma Shri BAR.png|30px]] [[Padma Shri]]}}
| awards = {{unbulleted list|[[File:IND Padma Vibhushan BAR.png|30px]] [[Padma Vibhushan]]|[[File:IND Padma Bhushan BAR.png|30px]] [[Padma Bhushan]]|[[Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize]]|[[File:IND Padma Shri BAR.png|30px]] [[Padma Shri]]}}
}}
}}
'''Raghunath Anant Mashelkar''', also known as '''Ramesh Mashelkar,''' (born on 1 January 1943) is an Indian [[chemical engineer]] and a former Director General of the [[CSIR India|Council of Scientific and Industrial Research]] (CSIR).<ref name="CSIR">[http://www.csir.res.in CSIR]</ref> He was also the President of Indian National Science Academy (2004-2006), President of UK Institution of Chemical Engineers (2007) as also the President of Global Research Alliance. He was also the first Chairperson of [[Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR)]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.indianexpress.com/news/mashelkar-appointed-1st-chairperson-of-acsir/962959/|title=Mashelkar appointed 1st chairperson of AcSIR|publisher=}}</ref> He is a [[Fellow of the Royal Society]]<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://royalsociety.org/people/raghunath-mashelkar-11906|title=Raghunath Mashelkar|website=Royal Society|language=en-GB|accessdate=2018-07-31}}</ref>, [[Royal Academy of Engineering|Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering]] (FREng)<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=https://www.raeng.org.uk/about-us/the-fellowship/list-of-fellows?q=mashelkar|title=Mashelkar, List of Fellows, Royal Academy of Engineering|date=|website=Royal Academy of Engineering|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=no|accessdate=}}</ref>, and [[Institution of Chemical Engineers|Fellow of the Institution of Chemical Engineers]] (FIChemE)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://csir.res.in/External/Heads/aboutcsir/leaders/DG/mashelkar-bio.htm|title=Curriculum vitae|{{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130927233236/http://www.csir.res.in/External/Heads/aboutcsir/leaders/DG/mashelkar-bio.htm |date=27 September 2013}}</ref>
'''Raghunath Anant Mashelkar''', also known as '''Ramesh Mashelkar,''' (born on 1 January 1943) is an Indian [[chemical engineer]] and a former Director General of the [[CSIR India|Council of Scientific and Industrial Research]] (CSIR).<ref name="CSIR">[http://www.csir.res.in CSIR]</ref> He was also the President of Indian National Science Academy (2004-2006), President of Institution of Chemical Engineers (2007) as also the President of Global Research Alliance. He was also the first Chairperson of [[Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR)]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.indianexpress.com/news/mashelkar-appointed-1st-chairperson-of-acsir/962959/|title=Mashelkar appointed 1st chairperson of AcSIR|publisher=}}</ref> He is a [[Fellow of the Royal Society]]<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://royalsociety.org/people/raghunath-mashelkar-11906|title=Raghunath Mashelkar|website=Royal Society|language=en-GB|accessdate=2018-07-31}}</ref>, [[Royal Academy of Engineering|Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering]] (FREng)<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=https://www.raeng.org.uk/about-us/the-fellowship/list-of-fellows?q=mashelkar|title=Mashelkar, List of Fellows, Royal Academy of Engineering|date=|website=Royal Academy of Engineering|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=no|accessdate=}}</ref>, Foreign Fellow of US [[National Academy of Engineering]] and Foreign Associate of [[National Academy of Science]] (USA)


== Life and work ==
== Life and work ==
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He served as the Director General of [[Council of Scientific and Industrial Research]] (CSIR) - a network of thirty-eight laboratories - for over eleven years. Prior to this, he was the Director of the [[National Chemical Laboratory]] (NCL) for six years.
He served as the Director General of [[Council of Scientific and Industrial Research]] (CSIR) - a network of thirty-eight laboratories - for over eleven years. Prior to this, he was the Director of the [[National Chemical Laboratory]] (NCL) for six years.


As Director of India's [[National Chemical Laboratory]] (NCL) during 1989-1995 <ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.ncl-india.org/files/AboutNCL/Organization/PreviousDirectors.aspx|title=National Chemical Laboratory|website=www.ncl-india.org|access-date=2019-06-27}}</ref>, Mashelkar gave a new orientation to NCL’s research programmes with strong emphasis on globally competitive technologies and international patenting. NCL, which was involved only in import substitution research began till then, licensing its patents to multinational companies. <ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.swaminathansivaram.in/media/data/artaicle_global%20chemistry_110515(2).pdf|title=Global Chemistry|last=|first=|date=|website=|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=}}</ref> <ref>{{Cite web|url=http://reflections-shivanand.blogspot.com/2007/08/r-mashelkar-catalyst-for-change.html|title=reflections: R A Mashelkar--Catalyst for Change|last=Kanavi|first=Shivanand|date=2007-08-08|website=reflections|access-date=2019-06-27}}</ref>
⚫
He has been on the Board of Directors of several reputed companies such as [[Reliance Industries Limited|Reliance Industries Ltd]]., [[Tata Motors]] Ltd., [[Hindustan Unilever]] Ltd., [[Thermax]] Ltd., Piramal Enterprises Ltd., [[KPIT Technologies]] Ltd., etc.  He chairs the Boards of GeneMedix Life Sciences Pvt. Ltd., Vyome Biosciences Pvt. Ltd. and Invictus Oncology Pvt. Ltd.

As Director General of CSIR, Mashelkar led the process of transformation of CSIR. ‘World Class in India’, has ranked CSIR among the top twelve organizations, who have managed the radical change the best in post-1991 India.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://penguin.co.in/book/business/world-class-india/|title=World Class in India|website=Penguin India|language=en-US|access-date=2019-06-27}}</ref>

The process of CSIR transformation has been heralded as one of the ten most significant achievements of Indian Science and Technology in the twentieth century, by eminent astrophysicist Prof. [[Jayant Narlikar]], in his 2003 book, [https://penguin.co.in/book/non-fiction/the-scientific-edge/ The Scientific Edge].

Mashelkar campaigned strongly for India on IPR through his visionary campaign with Indian academics, researchers and corporates. Under his leadership, CSIR occupied the first position in WIPO’s top fifty PCT filler among all the developing nations in 2002. CSIR had an unprecedented 40% share of the US patents granted to India in 2002. <ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.iisc.ernet.in/currsci/sep102003/570.pdf|title=Innovation chain and CSIR|last=|first=|date=|website=|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=}}</ref>

Led by Mashelkar, CSIR successfully fought <ref>{{Cite journal|last=Jayaraman|first=K. S.|date=1997-09-01|title=US patent office withdraws patent on Indian herb|url=https://www.nature.com/articles/37838|journal=Nature|language=en|volume=389|issue=6646|pages=6|doi=10.1038/37838|issn=1476-4687}}</ref> the battle of revocation of the US patent on wound healing properties of ''turmeric (USP 5,401,5041)'' Mashelkar also chaired the Technical Committee, which successfully challenged <ref name=":2">{{Cite web|url=http://www.mondaq.com/india/x/586384/Patent/Traditional+Knowledge+And+Patent+Issues+An+Overview+Of+Turmeric+Basmati+Neem+Cases|title=Traditional Knowledge And Patent Issues: An Overview Of Turmeric, Basmati, Neem Cases. - Intellectual Property - India|website=www.mondaq.com|access-date=2019-06-27}}</ref> the revocation of the US patents on Basmati Rice (USP 5,663,484) by RiceTec Company, Texas, (2001). This opened up new paradigms in the protection of traditional knowledge, not only for India but also for all the entire developing world. This led to the creation of India’s [[Traditional Knowledge Digital Library]] <ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.indiascienceandtechnology.gov.in/organisations/ministry-and-departments/council-scientific-industrial-research-csir/csir-unit|title=CSIR-UNIT: Traditional Knowledge Digital Library (CSIR-TKDL), New Delhi {{!}} India Science, Technology & Innovation|website=www.indiascienceandtechnology.gov.in|access-date=2019-06-27}}</ref><ref name=":2" />, which helped in prevention of the grant of wrong patents on traditional knowledge.

He pioneered the concept of Gandhian Engineering in 2008 (Getting More from Less for More People) and his paper with late C.K. Prahalad titled `[https://hbr.org/2010/07/innovations-holy-grail Innovation’s Holy Grail]’ has been considered as early trend setter in inclusive innovation as also his other contributions. <ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.mea.gov.in/Portal/CountryNews/9368_KR_NARAYANAN_ORATION.pdf|title=2018 K.R. Narayanan Oration: Dismantling Inequality through ASSURED Innovation|last=|first=|date=|website=|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://penguin.co.in/book/business/leapfrogging-to-pole-vaulting/|title=Leapfrogging to Pole-vaulting|website=Penguin India|language=en-US|access-date=2019-06-27}}</ref>

⚫
He has been on the Board of Directors of several reputed companies such as [[Reliance Industries Limited|Reliance Industries Ltd]]., [[Tata Motors]] Ltd., [[Hindustan Unilever]] Ltd., [[Thermax]] Ltd., Piramal Enterprises Ltd., [[KPIT Technologies]] Ltd., etc. 


He has been a member of External Research Advisory Board of [[Microsoft]] (USA), Advisory Board of [[VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland|VTT]] (Finland), Corporate Innovation Board of [[Michelin]] (France), Advisory Board of [https://www.nrf.gov.sg/ National Research Foundation (Singapore)], among others.
He has been a member of External Research Advisory Board of [[Microsoft]] (USA), Advisory Board of [[VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland|VTT]] (Finland), Corporate Innovation Board of [[Michelin]] (France), Advisory Board of [https://www.nrf.gov.sg/ National Research Foundation (Singapore)], among others.

He has been a Visiting Professor at [[Harvard University]] (2007-2012), at [[University of Delaware|Delaware University]] (1976, 1988), and at Technology University of Denmark (1982). He has been Sir Louis Matheson Distinguished Professor at [[Monash University]] for twelve years (2007-2018).


42 universities from around the world have honored him with honorary doctorates, which include Universities of London, Salford, Pretoria, Wisconsin, Swinburne, Monash and Delhi<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.mashelkar.com/|title=R A Mashelkar|website=www.mashelkar.com|access-date=2019-06-26}}</ref>.
42 universities from around the world have honored him with honorary doctorates, which include Universities of London, Salford, Pretoria, Wisconsin, Swinburne, Monash and Delhi<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.mashelkar.com/|title=R A Mashelkar|website=www.mashelkar.com|access-date=2019-06-26}}</ref>.


The President of India honored Dr. Mashelkar with Padmashri (1991), with Padmabhushan (2000) and with Padma Vibhushan (2014).
The [[President of India]] honored Dr. Mashelkar with [[Padma Shri]] (1991), with [[Padma Bhushan]] (2000) and with [[Padma Vibhushan]] (2014).


== National contributions ==
== National contributions ==
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Mashelkar has made contributions in [[transport phenomena]], particularly in [[thermodynamics]] of swelling, superswelling and shrinking [[polymer]]s, modelling of polymerisation reactors, and engineering analysis of [[Non Newtonian fluid|Non-Newtonian]] flows.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mashelkar.com/work/research-papers|title=Research Papers|publisher=}}</ref>
Mashelkar has made contributions in [[transport phenomena]], particularly in [[thermodynamics]] of swelling, superswelling and shrinking [[polymer]]s, modelling of polymerisation reactors, and engineering analysis of [[Non Newtonian fluid|Non-Newtonian]] flows.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mashelkar.com/work/research-papers|title=Research Papers|publisher=}}</ref>


He won the TWAS Lenovo Science Prize<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://twas.org/article/mashelkar-wins-twas-lenovo-prize|title=Mashelkar wins TWAS-Lenovo Prize|website=TWAS|language=en|access-date=2019-06-26}}</ref>, which is the highest honour given by [[The World Academy of Science]]. The citation for the prize given read as “''for his seminal contributions in mechanistic analysis, synthesis and applications of novel stimuli responsive polymers''.”
He won the TWAS Lenovo Science Prize<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://twas.org/article/mashelkar-wins-twas-lenovo-prize|title=Mashelkar wins TWAS-Lenovo Prize|website=TWAS|language=en|access-date=2019-06-26}}</ref>, which is the highest honour given by [[The World Academy of Science]]. The citation for the prize given read as “''for his seminal contributions in mechanistic analysis, synthesis and applications of novel stimuli responsive polymers''.”

His prize winning work has been recently summarised in [[Current Science]] as follows<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.currentscience.ac.in/Volumes/116/08/1281.pdf|title=The TWAS–Lenovo Science Prize-winning work of R. A. Mashelkar|last=|first=|date=|website=|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=}}</ref>: Mashelkar and co-workers researched on smart hydrogels, which are water swollen crosslinked networks of polymers. They respond to stimuli such as pH, temperature, electric field, etc. and undergo volume phase transition. They have enormous potential as sensors, actuators, soft robots, controlled drug delivery systems, etc. Mashelkar and co-workers discovered and demonstrated for the first time a class of smart hydrogels that exhibited unique biomimicking functions: thermoresponsive volume phase transitions similar to sea cucumbers, self-organization into core-shell hollow structures similar to coconuts, shape memory as exhibited by living organisms, and metal ion-mediated cementing similar to marine mussels. Besides this, his group also created switching biomimetic hydrogels showing enzyme like activity (gelzymes). Achieving self-healing in permanently cross-linked hydrogels had remained elusive because of the presence of water and irreversible cross-links. Mashelkar and co-workers demonstrated for the first time that permanently cross-linked hydrogels can be engineered to exhibit self-healing in an aqueous environment. Mashelkar and co-workers demonstrated for the first time a novel enzyme mimicking hydrogel (gelzyme) in the form of a polymeric chymotrypsin mimic, whose hydrolytic activity could be rapidly, precisely and reversibly triggered on / off by UV light and pH. Unlike the enzyme-based systems, gelzyme offered additional features: greater tailorablity; complete reversibility; and stability in hostile environments.


== Controversy ==
== Controversy ==
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== Awards & recognition ==
== Awards & recognition ==


Dr. Mashelkar has received over fifty awards and honorary doctorates and is a member of numerous scientific bodies and committees.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mashelkar.com/about/awards-and-recognitions|title=Awards and Recognitions|author=Super User|work=RAMashelkar}}</ref>
Dr. Mashelkar has received several awards and honorary doctorates and is a member of numerous scientific bodies and committees.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mashelkar.com/about/awards-and-recognitions|title=Awards and Recognitions|author=Super User|work=RAMashelkar}}</ref>

'''Honours by President of India: (Highest Indian Civilian awards)'''

⚫
* [[File:IND Padma Shri BAR.png|30px]] [[Padma Shri]], India's fourth highest civilian award (1991)
* [[File:IND Padma Bhushan BAR.png|30px]] [[Padma Bhushan]], India's third highest civilian award (2000)
⚫
* [[File:IND Padma Vibhushan BAR.png|30px]] [[Padma Vibhushan]], India's second highest civilian award (2014) <ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pib.nic.in/newsite/erelease.aspx?relid=69364|title=Padma Awards Announced|date=25 January 2014|publisher=Press Information Bureau, Ministry of Home Affairs|accessdate=2014-01-26}}</ref>

'''Election to Prestigious Academies (International):'''

* Fellow, [[The World Academy of Sciences]] (TWAS) (1994)
⚫
* Fellow, [[Royal Society]] (FRS), London (1998)
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* Foreign Associate, [[National Academy of Sciences]], USA (2005)
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* Foreign Associate, [[National Academy of Engineering]], USA (2003)
⚫
* Foreign Member, [[Royal Academy of Engineering]], UK (1996)
⚫
* Foreign Fellow, [[American Academy of Arts and Sciences|American Academy of Arts & Sciences]] (2011)
⚫
* Corresponding Member of [[Australian Academy of Science|Australian Academy of Sciences]] (2017)
⚫
* Foreign Fellow, [[Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering|Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering]] (ATSE) (2008)
⚫
* Fellow, US [[National Academy of Inventors]] (2017)
* Fellow, [[World Academy of Art and Science|World Academy of Arts & Science]], USA (2000)
* Fellow, [[International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry|International Union of Pure & Applied Chemistry]] (2012)
* Fellow, The Institute of Physics, London (1998)
* Fellow, Institute of Electronics and Tele-communication Engineers (IETE) (1998)
* Fellow, Institute of Chemical Engineering, UK (1996)
* Fellow, Royal Society of Chemistry, Cambridge, UK (2006)

'''Election to Prestigious Academies (National):'''

* Fellow, [[Indian National Science Academy]] (1984)
* Fellow, [[Indian Academy of Sciences]] (1983)
* Fellow, [[Maharashtra Academy of Sciences]] (1985)
* Fellow, National Academy of Engineering (1987)
* Fellow, National Academy of Sciences (1989)
* Fellow, [[Indian Institute of Chemical Engineers]] (1992)
* Fellow, [[Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science]], Kolkata (2005)


'''Presidency of Top Academic Bodies'''
* 1982 – Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize
*1991 – [[File:IND Padma Shri BAR.png|30px]] [[Padma Shri]], India's fourth highest civilian award.<ref>{{cite web|title=Padma Awards Directory (1954–2013)|publisher=[[Ministry of Home Affairs (India)|Ministry of Home Affairs]]|url=http://mha.nic.in/sites/upload_files/mha/files/LST-PDAWD-2013.pdf}}</ref>
*1993 – GD Birla Award
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* 1996 – Fellow of the [[Royal Academy of Engineering]] <ref name=":1" />
⚫
*1998 – Fellow of the [[Royal Society]]. <ref name=":0" />
*1998 – JRD Tata Corporate Leadership Award


* President, [[Indian National Science Academy]] (2005-2007)
⚫
* 2000 – [[File:IND Padma Bhushan BAR.png|30px]] [[Padma Bhushan]], India's third highest civilian award.
* President, Institution of Chemicals Engineers, UK (2007-08)
⚫
*2000 – Fellow of [[World Academy of Art and Science|World Academy of Arts & Science]], USA
* General President, Indian Science Congress (1999-2000)
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*2003 – Foreign Fellow of US [[National Academy of Engineering]]
* President, Materials Research Society of India (2004-06)
⚫
*2005 – Foreign Associate of [[National Academy of Science]] (USA)
* President, Physical Sciences, National Academy of Sciences (1991)
*2005 – Business Week Star of Asia <ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.csir.res.in/sites/default/files/star_asia.pdf|title=Dr. Mashelkar receives Star of Asia Award
* President, [[Maharashtra Academy of Sciences]] (1991-94)
from George Bush Sr., former US President|last=|first=|date=|website=|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=}}</ref>
* President, Society for Polymer Science in India (1986-92)
⚫
*2008 – Foreign Fellow of Australian Technological Science and Engineering Academy
* President, Indian Society of Rheology (1986-93)
*2011 – Associate Foreign Member of [[American Academy of Arts & Sciences]]
* Vice-President, Materials Research Society of India (1993-95)
* Vice-President, [[Indian Academy of Sciences]] (1995-2000)


'''Awards and Honours: International'''
* 2013 – [[Gomant Vibhushan Award]], the highest civilian honour of the state of Goa.<ref>{{cite web | title = R A Mashelkar conferred Gomant Vibhushan award | url = http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/goa/R-A-Mashelkar-conferred-Gomant-Vibhushan-award/articleshow/20358039.cms |date=May 31, 2013| accessdate = 2014-08-16 | publisher = The Times of India}}</ref>


* Judge, Queen Elizabeth Prize of Engineering 2019 <ref>{{Cite web|url=https://qeprize.org/createthefuture/meet-new-qeprize-judges-raghunath-mashelkar/|title=Meet the new QEPrize judges: Raghunath Mashelkar|last=Admin|first=QEPrize|date=2018-04-03|website=Create the Future|language=en-GB|access-date=2019-06-27}}</ref>
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* 2014 – [[File:IND Padma Vibhushan BAR.png|30px]] [[Padma Vibhushan]], India's second highest civilian award.<ref>{{cite web | title =Padma Awards Announced |publisher=Press Information Bureau, Ministry of Home Affairs| url = http://www.pib.nic.in/newsite/erelease.aspx?relid=69364 |date=25 January 2014|accessdate = 2014-01-26}}</ref>
* The TWAS medal (2005) by [[The World Academy of Sciences]] <ref>{{Cite web|url=https://twas.org/opportunity/twas-medal-lectures|title=TWAS Medal Lectures|last=|first=|date=|website=|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=}}</ref>
⚫
*2017 – First Indian to be elected as a Fellow of [[National Academy of Inventors]] (NAI), US
* [[World Federation of Engineering Organizations|World Federation of Engineering Organisations]] (WFEO) Medal of Engineering Excellence (2003) by WFEO, Paris
⚫
*2017 – Corresponding Member of Australian Academy of Sciences
* Star of Asia Award (2005) of Business Week (USA) at the hands of George Bush (Sr), Former President of USA
* Wolff-Ramanujam Medal Lecture, [[French Academy of Sciences|French Academy of Science]], Paris (2007).
* ETH Presidential Lecture (2007), Zurich.
* Inaugural BP Innovation Oration, [[Cambridge Judge Business School|Judge Business School]], [[University of Cambridge]] (2010).
* IIFA Ben Gurion Award, Israel (2009) for contributions in Science & Technology
* [[Asian Development Bank]] Eminent Speaker Forum Oration, Manila (2014)
* P.V. Danckwerts Memorial Lecture, IChemE, London (1994)


== References ==
== References ==

Revision as of 15:03, 27 June 2019

Raghunath Anant Mashelkar
A portrait photograph of Raghunath Anant Mashelkar taken in April 2009.
Raghunath Anant Mashelkar in April 2009.
Born (1943-01-01) 1 January 1943 (age 81)
Mashel, Goa, Portuguese India (now India)
NationalityIndian
Other namesRamesh Mashelkar
EducationBachelor of Engineering, (B.E.), 1966; PhD, 1969
Alma materUniversity of Mumbai
Known for
TitleFellow of the Royal Society, Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering, Fellow of the Institution of Chemical Engineers
Awards
Scientific career
FieldsChemical Engineering
InstitutionsCSIR India; Global Research Alliance; National Innovation Foundation
Websitewww.mashelkar.com

Raghunath Anant Mashelkar, also known as Ramesh Mashelkar, (born on 1 January 1943) is an Indian chemical engineer and a former Director General of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR).[1] He was also the President of Indian National Science Academy (2004-2006), President of Institution of Chemical Engineers (2007) as also the President of Global Research Alliance. He was also the first Chairperson of Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR).[2] He is a Fellow of the Royal Society[3], Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering (FREng)[4], Foreign Fellow of US National Academy of Engineering and Foreign Associate of National Academy of Science (USA)

Life and work

Mashelkar studied at the University of Bombay's Department of Chemical Technology (now the Institute of Chemical Technology, Mumbai) where he obtained a Bachelor's degree in Chemical engineering in 1966, and a PhD degree in 1969.

He served as the Director General of Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) - a network of thirty-eight laboratories - for over eleven years. Prior to this, he was the Director of the National Chemical Laboratory (NCL) for six years.

As Director of India's National Chemical Laboratory (NCL) during 1989-1995 [5], Mashelkar gave a new orientation to NCL’s research programmes with strong emphasis on globally competitive technologies and international patenting. NCL, which was involved only in import substitution research began till then, licensing its patents to multinational companies. [6] [7]

As Director General of CSIR, Mashelkar led the process of transformation of CSIR. ‘World Class in India’, has ranked CSIR among the top twelve organizations, who have managed the radical change the best in post-1991 India.[8]

The process of CSIR transformation has been heralded as one of the ten most significant achievements of Indian Science and Technology in the twentieth century, by eminent astrophysicist Prof. Jayant Narlikar, in his 2003 book, The Scientific Edge.

Mashelkar campaigned strongly for India on IPR through his visionary campaign with Indian academics, researchers and corporates. Under his leadership, CSIR occupied the first position in WIPO’s top fifty PCT filler among all the developing nations in 2002. CSIR had an unprecedented 40% share of the US patents granted to India in 2002. [9]

Led by Mashelkar, CSIR successfully fought [10] the battle of revocation of the US patent on wound healing properties of turmeric (USP 5,401,5041) Mashelkar also chaired the Technical Committee, which successfully challenged [11] the revocation of the US patents on Basmati Rice (USP 5,663,484) by RiceTec Company, Texas, (2001). This opened up new paradigms in the protection of traditional knowledge, not only for India but also for all the entire developing world. This led to the creation of India’s Traditional Knowledge Digital Library [12][11], which helped in prevention of the grant of wrong patents on traditional knowledge.

He pioneered the concept of Gandhian Engineering in 2008 (Getting More from Less for More People) and his paper with late C.K. Prahalad titled `Innovation’s Holy Grail’ has been considered as early trend setter in inclusive innovation as also his other contributions. [13][14]

He has been on the Board of Directors of several reputed companies such as Reliance Industries Ltd., Tata Motors Ltd., Hindustan Unilever Ltd., Thermax Ltd., Piramal Enterprises Ltd., KPIT Technologies Ltd., etc. 

He has been a member of External Research Advisory Board of Microsoft (USA), Advisory Board of VTT (Finland), Corporate Innovation Board of Michelin (France), Advisory Board of National Research Foundation (Singapore), among others.

He has been a Visiting Professor at Harvard University (2007-2012), at Delaware University (1976, 1988), and at Technology University of Denmark (1982). He has been Sir Louis Matheson Distinguished Professor at Monash University for twelve years (2007-2018).

42 universities from around the world have honored him with honorary doctorates, which include Universities of London, Salford, Pretoria, Wisconsin, Swinburne, Monash and Delhi[15].

The President of India honored Dr. Mashelkar with Padma Shri (1991), with Padma Bhushan (2000) and with Padma Vibhushan (2014).

National contributions

He was a member of the Scientific Advisory Council to the Prime Minister and also of the Scientific Advisory Committee to the Cabinet set up by successive governments. He has chaired twelve high powered committees set up to look into diverse issues ranging from national auto fuel policy[16] to overhauling the Indian drug regulatory system & dealing with the menace of spurious drugs[17].

Deeply connected with the innovation movement in India, Dr. Mashelkar served as the Chairman of India’s National Innovation Foundation (2000-2018). He chaired Reliance Innovation Council [18], KPIT Technologies Innovation Council, Persistent Systems Innovation Council and Marico Foundation’s Governing Council [19]. He co-chairs the Maharashtra State Innovation Council[20].

Research

Mashelkar has made contributions in transport phenomena, particularly in thermodynamics of swelling, superswelling and shrinking polymers, modelling of polymerisation reactors, and engineering analysis of Non-Newtonian flows.[21]

He won the TWAS Lenovo Science Prize[22], which is the highest honour given by The World Academy of Science. The citation for the prize given read as “for his seminal contributions in mechanistic analysis, synthesis and applications of novel stimuli responsive polymers.”

His prize winning work has been recently summarised in Current Science as follows[23]: Mashelkar and co-workers researched on smart hydrogels, which are water swollen crosslinked networks of polymers. They respond to stimuli such as pH, temperature, electric field, etc. and undergo volume phase transition. They have enormous potential as sensors, actuators, soft robots, controlled drug delivery systems, etc. Mashelkar and co-workers discovered and demonstrated for the first time a class of smart hydrogels that exhibited unique biomimicking functions: thermoresponsive volume phase transitions similar to sea cucumbers, self-organization into core-shell hollow structures similar to coconuts, shape memory as exhibited by living organisms, and metal ion-mediated cementing similar to marine mussels. Besides this, his group also created switching biomimetic hydrogels showing enzyme like activity (gelzymes). Achieving self-healing in permanently cross-linked hydrogels had remained elusive because of the presence of water and irreversible cross-links. Mashelkar and co-workers demonstrated for the first time that permanently cross-linked hydrogels can be engineered to exhibit self-healing in an aqueous environment. Mashelkar and co-workers demonstrated for the first time a novel enzyme mimicking hydrogel (gelzyme) in the form of a polymeric chymotrypsin mimic, whose hydrolytic activity could be rapidly, precisely and reversibly triggered on / off by UV light and pH. Unlike the enzyme-based systems, gelzyme offered additional features: greater tailorablity; complete reversibility; and stability in hostile environments.

Controversy

In 2005, the Indian government established a technical expert group on patent laws under the chairmanship of Mashelkar. Its purpose was to determine whether amendments made in Indian patent law were TRIPS compliant. The committee unanimously concluded that the amendments were not TRIPS compliant.

The report generated controversy when editorials published simultaneously in the Times of India[24] and The Hindu[25] alleged parts of the report had been plagiarised. Mashelkar subsequently withdrew the report due to the alleged plagiarism,[26] admitting to flaws in the report[24][27] whilst stating, "This is the first time such a thing has happened."[26] He later also explained that the technical flaw was not the alleged lack of attribution but it was citing the attribution at the end of the report than in the body of the report due to the style adopted for the report[28].

The controversy was raised in the Indian Parliament, with demands that the report be "trashed" and the issues be referred to a joint standing committee.[29][30] However, the government instead referred the report back to the technical expert group to reexamine and correct the inaccuracies. The report was resubmitted after corrections in March 2009 and was accepted by the Government as such.[31] [32]

Awards & recognition

Dr. Mashelkar has received several awards and honorary doctorates and is a member of numerous scientific bodies and committees.[33]

Honours by President of India: (Highest Indian Civilian awards)

Election to Prestigious Academies (International):

Election to Prestigious Academies (National):

Presidency of Top Academic Bodies

  • President, Indian National Science Academy (2005-2007)
  • President, Institution of Chemicals Engineers, UK (2007-08)
  • General President, Indian Science Congress (1999-2000)
  • President, Materials Research Society of India (2004-06)
  • President, Physical Sciences, National Academy of Sciences (1991)
  • President, Maharashtra Academy of Sciences (1991-94)
  • President, Society for Polymer Science in India (1986-92)
  • President, Indian Society of Rheology (1986-93)
  • Vice-President, Materials Research Society of India (1993-95)
  • Vice-President, Indian Academy of Sciences (1995-2000)

Awards and Honours: International

References

  1. ^ CSIR
  2. ^ "Mashelkar appointed 1st chairperson of AcSIR".
  3. ^ "Raghunath Mashelkar". Royal Society. Retrieved 31 July 2018.
  4. ^ "Mashelkar, List of Fellows, Royal Academy of Engineering". Royal Academy of Engineering. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |dead-url= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  5. ^ "National Chemical Laboratory". www.ncl-india.org. Retrieved 27 June 2019.
  6. ^ "Global Chemistry" (PDF). {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  7. ^ Kanavi, Shivanand (8 August 2007). "reflections: R A Mashelkar--Catalyst for Change". reflections. Retrieved 27 June 2019.
  8. ^ "World Class in India". Penguin India. Retrieved 27 June 2019.
  9. ^ "Innovation chain and CSIR" (PDF). {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  10. ^ Jayaraman, K. S. (1 September 1997). "US patent office withdraws patent on Indian herb". Nature. 389 (6646): 6. doi:10.1038/37838. ISSN 1476-4687.
  11. ^ a b "Traditional Knowledge And Patent Issues: An Overview Of Turmeric, Basmati, Neem Cases. - Intellectual Property - India". www.mondaq.com. Retrieved 27 June 2019.
  12. ^ "CSIR-UNIT: Traditional Knowledge Digital Library (CSIR-TKDL), New Delhi | India Science, Technology & Innovation". www.indiascienceandtechnology.gov.in. Retrieved 27 June 2019.
  13. ^ "2018 K.R. Narayanan Oration: Dismantling Inequality through ASSURED Innovation" (PDF). {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  14. ^ "Leapfrogging to Pole-vaulting". Penguin India. Retrieved 27 June 2019.
  15. ^ "R A Mashelkar". www.mashelkar.com. Retrieved 26 June 2019.
  16. ^ "PIB Press Releases".
  17. ^ ‘A Comprehensive Examination of Drug Regulatory Issues, including the Problem of Spurious Drugs’
  18. ^ "Reliance Innovation Council India - Raghunath Mashelkar | Mukesh Ambani | Jean-Marie Lehn | Robert Grubbs | George Whitesides | Gary Hamel | William Haseltine". www.ril.com. Retrieved 26 June 2019.
  19. ^ "HOME". Marico Foundation. Retrieved 26 June 2019.
  20. ^ "Maharashtra State Innovation Society - General Body". {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  21. ^ "Research Papers".
  22. ^ "Mashelkar wins TWAS-Lenovo Prize". TWAS. Retrieved 26 June 2019.
  23. ^ "The TWAS–Lenovo Science Prize-winning work of R. A. Mashelkar" (PDF). {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  24. ^ a b Mitta, Manoj (22 February 2007). "Mashelkar takes back report after plagiarism row". The Times of India. Retrieved 12 June 2007.
  25. ^ Park, Chan; Achal Prabhala (12 February 2007). "First attempt to dent a compromised patent system". The Hindu. The Hindu. Retrieved 12 June 2007.
  26. ^ a b Bagla, Pallava (22 February 2007). "'Plagiarism' in his panel's report, Mashelkar tells Govt to withdraw it". The Indian Express. Retrieved 18 June 2007.
  27. ^ Sharma, Ravi; Sara Hiddleston (22 February 2007). "Mashelkar committee on Patent Law withdraws report; seeks more time". The Hindu. Retrieved 18 June 2007.
  28. ^ Koshy, Bhuma Shrivastava and Jacob P. (26 February 2007). "There's a lesson to be learnt here, says Mashelkar". https://www.livemint.com. Retrieved 26 June 2019. {{cite web}}: External link in |website= (help)
  29. ^ "Trash Mashelkar panel report on patent law: CPI-M". The Hindu. 22 February 2007. Archived from the original on 30 September 2007. Retrieved 20 June 2007.
  30. ^ "`Scrap Mashelkar report'". The Hindu. 5 March 2007. Retrieved 20 June 2007.
  31. ^ "The Government of India accepts the Mashelkar Committee Report on 'Incremental Innovation' – what does it really mean? | PILMAN". www.tapanray.in. Retrieved 31 July 2018.
  32. ^ "RA Mashelkar | For me, it's national interest that comes first - Livemint". www.livemint.com. Retrieved 31 July 2018.
  33. ^ Super User. "Awards and Recognitions". RAMashelkar. {{cite web}}: |author= has generic name (help)
  34. ^ "Padma Awards Announced". Press Information Bureau, Ministry of Home Affairs. 25 January 2014. Retrieved 26 January 2014.
  35. ^ Admin, QEPrize (3 April 2018). "Meet the new QEPrize judges: Raghunath Mashelkar". Create the Future. Retrieved 27 June 2019.
  36. ^ "TWAS Medal Lectures". {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
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