As many as 1,494 scientists from India made it to the most coveted list of ‘World Ranking of Top 2% Scientists’ in the Indian subcontinent. The analysis was conducted by a team of scientists at the Stanford University, USA, led by Dr John PA Ioannidis. The database has been published in PLOS Biology.
Eleven scientists from this list were from Panjab University (PU).
Those on the coveted list include:
- From the University of Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences (field of pharmacology and pharmacy), Professor (Emeritus) SK Kulkarni (eield of pharmacology), Professor VR Sinha (field of pharmaceutics), Professor Bhupinder Singh Bhoop (field of pharmaceutics), Professor Kanwaljit Chopra (field of pharmacology), Professor Indu Pal Kaur (field of pharmaceutics) listed in the World ranking of top 2% Best Scientists in 2019
- Department of physics: Professor (Emeritus) Satya Prakash (field of materials), Professor (Emeritus) MM Aggarwal (field of nuclear and particle physics)
- Department of botany (plant biology and botany): Professor Harminder Pal Singh (field of plant biology and botany), Professor Harsh Nayyar (field of plant biology and botany)
- Dr SSB University Institute of Chemical Engineering and Technology: Professor Sushil Kumar Kansal (field of materials)
- Department of anthropology: Dr Kewal Krishan (field of legal and forensic medicine)
- Two scientists of Maharaja Ranjit Singh Punjab Technical University (MRSPTU), Bathinda, have been listed in the World ranking of top 2% Best Scientists in 2019 in an independent study conducted by Stanford University, USA.
Dr Kawaljit Singh Sandhu, Head of Department of Food Science and Technology, and Dr Ashish Baldi from Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technology, MRSPTU, Bathinda, were also featured among the Top 2% Best Scientists in “Food Science” and “Pharmacy” domains, respectively.
Dr Sandhu acclaimed a worldwide rank of 967 whereas Dr Baldi was ranked 1,745 in their respective fields. Dr Sandhu has been actively involved in research and has 3 books, 12 book chapters, and 82 publications to his credit. He has received grants worth more than 3 crore from different funding agencies including the University Grants Commission (UGC), Ministry of Food Processing Industries, Department of Science and Technology, Government of India, and Punjab State Council of Science and Technology.
He was also awarded the “Young Scientist Award” by the Association of Food Scientists and Technologists (India) as well as by the Punjab Academy of Sciences. He is presently working on the de-bittering of kinnow juice, starch applications, antioxidants, and 3-D printing in food.
Similarly, Dr Ashish Baldi is known globally in the field of Pharmaceutical Sciences due to his 5 patents, 2 technologies transferred to industries, more than 125 publications, 12 major research grants by Government of India, 12 books, and over 150 talks/presentations. He is presently working on issues of Punjab such as farmer’s sustenance through medicinal plant cultivation, breast cancer, and other projects based on artificial intelligence, quality-by-design technique for affordable healthcare.
