Rajiv Gandhi (August 20, 1944 to May 21, 1991) was Prime Minister of India from 1984 to 1989 and symbolized the new emerging Indian generation - bold, innovative and full of energy. He also proved that tradition is continuous and deep rooted. Like his grandfather, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, India's first Prime Minister and his mother Mrs Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi firmly believed that science and technology was the cornerstone on which India's tryst with destiny will blossom. Science & Technology research and development also provided the backbone for Rajiv Gandhi's pet phrase "Mera Bharat Mahan" (My India is great). Always one to see the potential in India's assets he called the export of India intellectual manpower overseas as not brain drain but a brain bank which can be fallen back upon in a time of need and opportunity. India's position as an IT giant today was because of the path-breaking decisions of Rajiv Gandhi on computerization. He established the Ministry for Science & Technology and established five critical departments to oversee technology development - Biotechnology, Environment & Forests, Non conventional Energy sources, Scientific & Industrial Research and Ocean Developments. The results of these important creations are there for all to see today.

Professor Chandrabhas Narayana joined RGCB as Director on November 06, 2020. Prof. Narayana a Bangalorean by birth, born to parents from Kerala did his PhD from the Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore after completion of his Bachelor and master’s in science education from Regional Institute of Education, Mysore (affiliated to Mysore University). He went to Cornell University, Ithaca, New York for his Post Doctoral Research. Before joining as the Director at Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology (RGCB), he was the Dean (Research and Development), the Chairman (Chemistry and Physics of Materials Unit) and the Dean (Fellowships and Extension Programmes) at Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR). Prof. Narayana specializes in Raman Spectroscopy. Though a trained condensed matter physicist, Prof. Narayana developed a keen interest in Biology within a few years at JNCASR. His group is a pioneer in the use of Raman spectroscopy in the areas of a) drug-protein interaction, for drug screening applications, b) protein structure function studies and c) diagnostic applications. Many of his works in these areas are trendsetters in inter-disciplinary research. Along with his interest in Biology, he also follows his interest in physics and chemistry. Overall his group has been one of the well-known groups in the country for use of Raman spectroscopy in the areas of Physics, Chemistry, and Biology. In the process, he holds three international patents, a few of these are on the verge of commercialization. He was till recently the coordinator for the two major Synchrotron projects for India, namely, The Indian beamline at the Photon Factory, KEK, Tsukuba, Japan and the PETRA III, Hamburg, Germany. This program permits researchers in India to perform various experiments using synchrotrons, fully funded by the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India. His Light Scattering Laboratory at JNCASR is interested in looking at Physical properties of Materials using Raman spectroscopy, Brillouin Spectroscopy, x-ray diffraction under high pressures and temperatures. The research problems encompass Condensed Matter, Chemistry, and Biology. He has been awarded the Material Research Society of India bronze medal in 2007, Sir C.V. Raman Young Scientist Award (Karnataka Government) in 2008, C.N.R. Rao Oration award in 2009, Sheikh Saqr RAK-CAM Senior Fellow in 2016, MRSI-ICSC Super Conductivity and Materials Science Senior Award in 2017, Mizushima-Raman Lecture Award in 2018, Platinum Jubilee Lecture Award of the Indian Science Congress in 2020, for his research contributions. He is a Fellow of National Academy of Science, India, Fellow of Royal Society of Chemistry and Fellow of Indian Academy of Sciences. He has published over 180 research papers in International Journals and 4 Chapters in Books and has an h-index of 39. His publications include Nature, Advanced Materials, Advanced Functional Materials, Proceedings of National Academy of Sciences (USA), Physical Review Letters, Angewandte Chemie, Chemistry and Biology, Physical Review B, Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters, etc. This suggests the interdisciplinary nature of his Research, a must for every research in the current situation. He was a visiting Professor at Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA from 2001 to 2007 and at Institute of Mineralogy and Physics of Dense Matter, University of Pierre and Marie Curie, Paris, France from 2008 to 2016. He is also one of the editors of the International Journals: Journal of Applied Physics (American Institute of Physics), High-Pressure Research (Taylor and Francis Publishers), The Journal of Biomaterials and Nanobiotechnology. He is the member of the Corporate Advisory Board of REVA University, Bangalore, Governing Body of The Government Science College, Bengaluru and is the member of the Board of Studies for Department of Chemistry, St. Joseph’s College of Arts and Science, Department of Chemistry, Christ University, Department of Physics, M.S. Ramaiah Institute of Technology, Department of Physics, REVA University and was a member of the Board of Studies for Department of Nanotechnology at Calicut University.

Professor M. Radhakrishna Pillai joined RGCB on March 1, 2005, following a successful career as Professor of Molecular Medicine at the Regional Cancer Centre, making him then at 44, the youngest head of a national research institution. A scientist with over 31 years of postdoctoral research experience in disease biology and clinical biotechnology, he is an elected fellow of the Royal College of Pathologists (London), all three Indian Science Academies and the Indian Medical Academy.

RGCB was in 2005, then a State Government institute with an ordinary performance index and limited infrastructure. A visionary distinguishes himself when he finds opportunity in what others find as adversity. Relative lack of infrastructure, personnel and funds welcomed Professor Pillai to RGCB when he initially took office. But he found this as a blessed freedom of possibilities to explore, conceive and execute ideas par excellence. It was his sheer articulation and direction that led to the Government of India taking over RGCB in 2007 as an autonomous institute of the Department of Biotechnology. The results are very clear to see. RGCB today is a center with significant standing, best known for its distinct Disease Biology programs with interdisciplinary sciences being effectively used to ask relevant questions in disease pathogenesis. Teaming up cell biologists with pathologists, polymer chemists and even plant biologists to develop viable successful programs in chronic and infectious diseases are a remarkable characteristic of RGCB now. The quantity and quality of publications and patents have substantially increased over the past years to international standards.

Professor Pillai also successfully piloted a second phase development of RGCB to create a unique Bio-Innovation Center (BIC). While emphasis in RGCB was hitherto primarily on Investigator driven science, the second phase concentrated on team driven science for accelerated discovery and early translation. This new innovation center has been conceptualized to interface very well with the present institute creating an excellent ecosystem for discovery science and translation. The Rupees 100 crore project is currently in its final stages. Professor Pillai convinced the state government to transfer 20 acres of land free of cost in the heart of the city for this project, a remarkable achievement, in that even the Indian Air Force and Department of Space had to pay for land. The RGCB Governing Council has also provisionally approved a master plan of Rupees 430 crores for a national institute for viral disease biology and vaccine development including high containment facilities.

Professor Pillai used RGCB's excellent expertise for nation building through new start up industries and utilization of infrastructure for education, research and testing facilities by managing a technology development incubator - BioNest at Kochi. Established in association with the state government, BIONEST, a bio-incubator facility serves to accelerate the commercialization of new technologies, to nurture emerging ventures and to assist new enterprises to forge appropriate link with other biotech companies, academia and government. BioNest aims to provide a viable mechanism for licensing new technologies to upcoming biotech/pharma companies, to start new local ventures and to achieve early state value enhancement of the technology with minimum financial inputs. The deliverables of BioNest are technology packages, new product portfolios, techno economic feasibility and project reports for new products, process/product patents, prototypes of new equipment and rich management experience. BioNest that already has 26 companies incubated will also be a creator of new jobs in technology development, scale-up and translational biotechnology.

It is not always groundbreaking scientific accomplishments that make a scientist great but how he turns even the most trivial achievements into effective means to serve humanity During the period 2006 to 2011, Kerala was swamped with very serious outbreaks of viral fevers including chikungunya and dengue followed by the H1N1 flu pandemic. The state did not have a laboratory to do molecular viral diagnostics and turned to Professor Pillai to provide RGCB's expertise in assisting the public health service of Kerala. True to his commitment and character, Professor Pillai established a special purpose vehicle called Laboratory Medicine & Molecular Diagnostics (LMMD). LMMD which started off with 3 viral diagnostics, now performs over 40 viral and bacterial parameters and currently is arguably the only facility in India performing these many parameters under one roof. It was in recognition of these services that the Government of India's Department of Health Research designated this laboratory as a National Virology Network Grade 1 laboratory. Further recognition came as the facility was accredited by both NABL and NABH. With the advent of Covid 19 pandemic, it was only natural that RGCB became a leader for both Covid 19 diagnostics and an approved accredited validation center for new diagnostic kits. Further to cap these achievements, with his experience in large vaccine field trials, Professor Pillai led RGCB to collaboration with Mayo Clinic and Tetherex, a biotech company that will soon initiate a novel candidate vaccine trial in India, where all immunity parameters will be carried out at RGCB. Again this was a remarkable achievement for any research institute.

Under Professor Pillai's leadership, RGCB continued its strong support to the state government for DNA Fingerprinting services. These services were nationally lauded in wake of two huge tragedies that struck the state of Kerala. The huge fireworks tragedy at Kollam and the Ochi cyclone required a large number of unidentified bodies to be distinguished and returned to next of kin. The small DNA fingerprinting facility which was upgraded to a full fledged Molecular Forensics laboratory worked overtime to identify the hundreds of bodies that were sent for DNA fingerprinting. This huge social service has earned RGCB tremendous public goodwill and appreciation. This laboratory now accredited by both NABL and NABH, is completely self-sustaining and serves the country for human DNA fingerprinting, DNA barcoding for wildlife forensics and a research facility for biologists all over India to outsource their DNA fingerprinting and barcoding based research projects. As a consequence of these achievements, RGCB is also now a senior partner in the India Human Genome Program that aims to DNA fingerprint various sections of India's population. True to his reputation, he opened the institute laboratories for support to flood relief measures in the floods that devastated the state. This includes working overtime to tackle post flood water borne diseases and arranging for funds and material to be distributed at various medical camps in the state.

Teaching has forever remained Professor Pillai's primary passion. He successfully created RGCB's PhD program to be one of the best and most competitive in the country and also initiated India's first exclusive PhD in Translational Science & Medicine (TSM) Program designed to train candidates with terminal degrees in medicine, dentistry, veterinary sciences and pharmacy to become leaders of the next generation of translational science. Twenty seven fortunate students took their PhD under Professor Pillai's mentorship. Another notable event was his inception of a Master's program in Biotechnology at RGCB, with unique specialisations in disease biology, genetic engineering and molecular diagnostics. This program has become one of the best and most sought after in India.

At RGCB, Professor M. Radhakrishna Pillai led the way for scientific excellence with a unique track record as a scientist and a perfect example of taking science from laboratories to direct public benefit. An excellent example is his work on cervical cancer, the most frequent cancer in women in India, caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV). Current estimates indicate approximately 132,000 new cases diagnosed and 74,000 deaths annually in India, accounting to nearly 1/3rd of the global cervical cancer deaths. Professor Pillai produced vast knowledge on the complex pathology of the virus; he deployed all his resources in molecular biology, genetics, biochemistry and epidemiology to redefine the empirical approach to HPV infection. Recognizing this, World Health Organization supported Professor Pillai to alleviate the huge economic and social burden of 3-dose vaccine against HPV in Indian women. These studies rationally proved the efficacy of 2-dose of vaccine, the first achievement of its kind in the world. He also went on to prove that one dose of vaccine also has significant potential to prevent infection. Published in the prestigious Lancet Oncology, this study changed international paradigms for cervical cancer prevention. The journal wrote in a commentary "The study will make a long-term contribution to understanding the role of HPV vaccines in preventing infection and disease in countries with high burdens of cervical cancer. The experience of Indian women participating in this vaccine study promises to lead the way in the assessment of one-dose HPV vaccination while formal randomized trials are being established".

Professor Pillai always encouraged scientists in the institute to be self sufficient in research funding with minimal dependence on the institute for funding. He personally set standards for this at RGCB through an exceptionally impressive track record in obtaining research grants. He a recipient of research funding from the International Agency for Research Against Cancer (WHO) and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (₹ 25 Crores), the National Institutes for Health, USA funded program on measles vaccine failure (₹ 4 Crores), a Center for Excellence for Translational Breast Cancer Research from the Department of Biotechnology (₹ 4 Crores), a National Drug Design Center from Department of Science & Technology (₹ 4 Crores), a unique "glue grant" for translational cancer research with the Regional Cancer Centre (₹ 4 Crores), a national center for translation of tribal technology (₹ 4 crores) from Department of Science & Technology - in addition to a number of smaller grants ranging from ₹ 40 to 90 lakhs. With more than 220 peer-reviewed publications and an H index of 42, Professor Pillai by keeping himself thoroughly engaged in his pioneering research understands the current research enterprise in the country extremely well. This was the prime reason for his success as a scientific acolyte as well as institute commander at the same time, with the unique honor of heading a national research institution for a continuous tenure of 15 years.

Professor Pillai also streamlined administrative and financial management effectively and RGCB is today an extremely efficient institution. Among his achievements as an administrator is the fact that RGCB today has the best social welfare scemes in the country. It is the only institution of the Department of Biotechnology that has created a comprehensive pension scheme for its employees in service before January 1 2004 on par with the old pension plan of Government of India. This was done by getting LIC to manage the institute's self generated funds from clinical diagnostic, services & consultancies as well as EPF contributions, with no additional burden on Government of India. RGCB also boasts of one of the best medical care facilities for its empoyees including "cashless" access to the best of government and corporate hospitals.

Professor M. Radhakrishna Pillai who superannuated from RGCB on August 31, 2020 is undoubtedly one of India's best-recognized researchers and an exceptional individual who seeks knowledge for the betterment of humanity. RGCB is truly indebted to this leader for having placed the institute as among the best in the country.

Raghava Varman Thampan received his Masters degree in Zoology from the Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, in 1968 and his Ph.D. from University of Delhi in 1973. He did postdoctoral training at the Department of Cell Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA and at the Molecular Biophysics Unit, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore.

Dr Thampan's research interests had its primary focus on research in molecular mechanisms in estrogen action, with emphasis on the structural and functional aspects of two proteins, the non-activated estrogen receptor (naER) and the estrogen receptor activation factor (ERAF). One of his major discoveries was the identification, isolation and characterization of the nuclear transport proteins involved in the nuclear entry of estrogen receptor α (ER α ). Extension of these studies further revealed the role of estradiol in the transport, with the involvement of the proteins p28 and p73. His research group was the first to demonstrate that ER α degradation was mediated by estradiol dependent ubiquitination of ER α. Another 'first' to the credit of this group is the purification of the plasma membrane localized estrogen receptor, the naER, the first ever steroid hormone receptor to function as a tyrosine kinase. During the course of these studies it was observed that the naER, a glycoprotein, moves into the nucleus and gets deglycosylated to be transformed into the nuclear estrogen receptor II (nER II) which apparently has it's major functional role in the nucleocytoplasmic transport of messenger ribonucleoproteins (m RNP).

During Dr Thampan's tenure RGCB increased its faculty strength and significantly improved its infrastructure. Most of the current main campus construction including the student residencies was completed during his tenure as Director.

It was the vision, foresight and the untiring efforts of Mukkattu Ramachandra Das, one of India's finest molecular biologists that brought biotechnology as a mandate of Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology (RGCB). With support of the Government of Kerala and Department of Biotechnology, he developed the institute into a national center for research in the frontier areas of modern and applied biology. M.R.Das also held the position of Chairman of the Science, Technology and Environment Committee (STEC) and ex-officio Principal Secretary, Government of Kerala. He played a vital role in rejuvenating scientific infra structure and research development activities in the seven science laboratories under STEC.

Ramachandra Das was born in Tiruvalla, Kerala on 2 July 1937. Young Ramachandra grew up in an environment that encouraged creative freedom, and early enough in school he developed a love for mathematics and science and also a keen interest in literature and the fine arts. M.R. Das, on completion of M.Sc degree in Chemistry, in first position in order of merit from the University of Kerala, joined the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), Bombay, as Research Assistant for Ph.D preferring science to a career in the civil service. He spent 36 of the most impressionable and productive years of his scientific life, outside Kerala, at the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), Mumbai, at Columbia and Cornell Universities, New York, at the Michigan Cancer Foundation, Detroit and then at the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology,(CCMB), Hyderabad.

During the period 1958 to 1969, Das's research work concerned studies of understanding the geometry, structure and mechanism of interactions in certain biologically interesting molecules like quinines, using magnetic resonance methods such as Electron Spin Resonance (ESR) and Electron Nuclear Double Resonance (ENDOR). Das's best known work, in collaboration with Professor Sol Spiegelman at Columbia University in 1969, concerned with the unequivocal demonstration of nucleic acid homology between tumour viral RNAs of avian and murine origin, and their host DNA. This preceded the discovery of reverse transcriptase. These studies were published as a series of three papers in August, September and October issues of Nature in 1970.

Das was an elected Fellow of all National Science Academies in India. He was a recipient of numerous awards, which also include Hari Om Ashram Award for research in basic medical sciences, ICMR's Sandoz Oration Award for cancer research and the Ranbaxy Award for Medical Sciences. He was holding a Senior Scientist position of the India at the time of his sudden death on April 1, 2003.