Dr. Sant Singh Virmani
Foreign Fellow, Elected 1995
Born in Bannu, NWFP (Erstwhile India now in Pakistan) on 5 July 1940. Educated in Modikhana Middle School, Jaipur, Rajasthan 1948-53; Government High School, West Patel Nagar, New Delhi 1953-55; Government High School, Obaidulla Ganj, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh 1955-57; Rafi Ahmed Kidwai College of Agriculture, Sehore, Madhya Pradesh (Vikram University) 1957-63; Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana 1966-69; B.Sc. 1961; M.S. 1963; Ph.D 1969; Post-doctoral Research Fellow, IRRI, 1970-72;
Former Principal Scientist, Plant Breeding, International Rice Research Institute, Manila, Philippines; Free-Lance Consultant, International Agricultural Research and Development.
Assistant Geneticist, Pulses, Department of Plant Breeding, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, 1972-73; Rice Breeder, Outreach Program in Liberia, International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, Nigeria, 1973-80; Plant Breeder, 1980-2003, and Adjunct Associate Professor, Agronomy, 1981-89 University of the Philippines, Los Banos, Laguna, Philippines; Deputy Head, Plant Breeding, Genetics and Biochemistry Division, IRRI, 1990-2004; Adjunct Professor, 1990-2005; University of Philippines, Los Banos, Laguna, Philippines.
Awards/Honours: Asia Pacific Seed Association Plaque and Gold Medal, 2000; Third World Network of Scientific Organization Award, 2000; CSSA International Crop Science Research Award, 2002; Government of Vietnam Agriculture and Rural Development Medal, 2002; Pravasi Bhartiya Samman Award in Agriculture, President of India, 2005; Fukui Province, Japan, Koshihikari International Rice Prize, 2005; Monsanto Distinguished Career Award of Crop Science Society of America, 2005; Padma Shri Award 2008, Government of India.
Fellow: American Society of Agronomy, 1999; Crop Science Society of the Philippines, 2001; Crop Science Society of America, 2001; American Association for Advancement of Sciences, 2001.
Research Areas: Hybrid rice breeding, genetics, hybrid seed production, international agriculture, public-private partnership in agriculture
Address: Former Principal Scientist (Pl Breeding), International Rice Research Institute, DAPO Box 7777, Metro Manila, Philippines; 4425, Partney Ct, Plano, Texas 75024, USA; [Tel: +469 361 6443; Cell: +469 682 8710; Email: sant@fastmail.fm; santvirmani@gmail.com]
