A. Gopalakrishnan, Director of ICAR-Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute, has won the VASVIK (Vividhlaxi Audyogik Samshodhan Vikas Kendra) Industrial Research Award for the year 2020 in the Agricultural Sciences and Technology category.
The award carries a cash prize of ₹1.51 lakh and citation and is in recognition of Dr. Gopalakrishnan’s contributions to research works on fish genetics. A communication from CMFRI said the VASVIK research award was presented to scientists and researchers who excelled in various fields, including agricultural sciences.
The CMFRI Director’s research works include genetic stock identification, species inventory, taxonomy, and breeding and seed production of threatened and commercially important species for mariculture which has helped improve scientific knowledge about Indian fishery and conservation measures, said the communication.
The award committee said Dr. Gopalakrishnan’s studies had helped develop molecular markers for many endangered fishes which was crucial to biodiversity conservation. Brood stock development techniques and mariculture technologies formulated and standardised by him have helped in the economic upliftment of people by providing alternate livelihoods.
