Dr TC Anand Kumar (1936–2010)

Abstract

Dr TC Anand Kumar, one of the founding editors of Reproductive BioMedicine Online and an emeritus member of the journal’s current Editorial Board, passed away on 26 January, 2010. A reproductive biologist of international repute, he will always be remembered for his diverse contributions to the field ranging from the role of the neuro-endocrine system in reproduction to developing the means of administering hormones via the nasal route and spear-heading the team that produced India’s first scientifically documented in-vitro fertilized baby at the ICMR’s Institute for Research in Reproduction and the KEM Hospital, Mumbai in 1986. After his retirement as the Director of the Institute for Research in Reproduction, Mumbai, India, he founded the Hope Infertility Clinic in Bangalore in 1991 where many of the first generation of assisted reproductive specialists in the country were trained and started their careers in this field. A graduate from Bangalore, he attained his doctorate from the University of Rajasthan and then went on to Birmingham, UK to pursue his studies. Despite several job opportunities provided to him in UK, he was committed by a national spirit and returned to India to participate in the growth of science in the young nation. It was then that he started the electron microscopy laboratory at the All India Institute Medical Sciences in 1970 which is still functional today. He served at the premier All India Institute of Medical Sciences from 1969 to 1982 where he was committed to teaching medical students and also started the neuro-endocrine research laboratory. He founded the Indian Society for the Study of Reproduction and Fertility in 1988 comprising scientists, public executives, programme managers and clinicians from the field of reproductive science which is a very active and flourishing Society today. He continued sharing his wisdom and experience with the younger generation of scientists by serving as an advisor on many committees in the World Health Organization, Department of Science and Technology, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (Government of India), Department of Biotechnology (Government of India) and the Indian Council of Medical Research until September 2009. His work was recognized by his peers and he received the Shanti Swaroop Bhatnagar Award, the highest scientific award in the country, as well as the Sanjay Gandhi National Award, and was a Fellow of the prestigious Indian Academy of Science, the National Academy of Medical Science (India) and Fellow of Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge, UK. The visionary in Dr Anand Kumar was equally concerned about the welfare of his patients seeking treatment with newer reproductive technologies. It was never fathomed that the field of assisted reproductive technology would grow in India to the extent that it exists today. When the first scientifically documented IVF baby was born, he was always questioned whether an over-populated country needed test-tube babies. With this modality of treatment gaining acceptance and hundreds of clinics operating in India, he took a lead in formulating National Guidelines for Accreditation, Supervision and Regulation of ART Clinics in India. His Proposal for National Guidelines in Medically Assisted Reproductive Techniques (MART) was published in RBMOnline in March 2001 (see http://www.rbmonline.com/Article/103). A man who stood for truth had the greatness to give away his fame and glory of being the pioneer of India’s first IVF baby when he discovered all the hand-written notes of Dr Subhas Mukerjee. Dr Mukerjee from Kolkata had claimed to have created an IVF baby in 1979 (the second in the world) but his claims were neither substantiated nor recognized by scientists or the authorities, leading to the man ending his life prematurely. Dr Anand Kumar had the courage to research his predecessors’ findings and scientifically present it to the world giving Dr Mukerjee his due place in medical history (Anand Kumar TC, Curr. Sci. 72:526–531;1997). Such generosity and honesty is a very rare and precious attribute. Dr Anand Kumar’s love for science and the search for the truth will always be remembered. His students who are now highly placed all over the world will always cherish their mentor. He is survived by his wife Karpagam, son Vijay who lives in Cambridge, UK, daughter Ambika and three grand-children.