Vinod Prakash Sharma (6 April 1938 – 9 October 2015) was an Indian malariologist and entomologist, known for his work in vector biology and bioenvironmental control of malaria. Recipient of many awards, including the Padma Shri, he was again honoured by the Government of India, in 2014, by bestowing on him the third highest civilian award, the Padma Bhushan.
Biography
Vinod Prakash Sharma was born on 6 April 1938 in Prayagraj, in Uttar Pradesh, India. After early education locally, he joined Allahabad University from where he secured MSc in 1960 and DPhil in 1964. In 1965, he left to South Bend, Indiana, USA and joined the University of Notre Dame as a post doctoral research associate, but later, shifted to Purdue University, USA. Sharma returned to India in 1968 and joined Allahabad University, again, to complete his DSc which he promptly did in 1979.
Sharma, lived in Vasant Kunj, New Delhi and took care of his duties as the Distinguished Professor at the Centre for Rural Development and Technology, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi.
Career
Sharma started his career at the Forest Research Institute, in the high altitude area of Dehradun, as a Pool Officer, in 1969. A year later, he joined the World Health Organization sponsored Indian Council of Medical Research project as a Senior Scientist on genetic control of Culicine mosquitoes, in 1970, where he worked till 1975. The next move was to the Vector Control Research Centre and Malaria Research Unit, in 1976, as the deputy director, for a 2-year stint there. In 1978, he joined the Malaria Research Centre, New Delhi as its deputy director.
During his stint at the Malaria Research Centre, he started working on the upgradation of the centre and, as a result, the centre was upgraded by the Government of India, renaming it as the National Institute of Malaria Research, in 1982. Sharma was made its first director, a post from where he retired, in 1998, as Additional Director-General of Indian Council of Medical Research.
On his retirement from the government service, the Indian Council of Medical Research recognised Sharma's services by making him the Meghnad Saha Distinguished Fellow of the National Academy of Sciences (India) at the Centre for Rural Development and Technology, IIT Delhi.
He is also leading the Safe Water campaign initiated by National Academy of Sciences, India
Major achievements
Sharma has been credited with many scientific and research achievements. His studies on the chemo and radio sterilisation of male mosquitoes are well documented. He is credited with developing a new technique for sex separation of mosquitoes. He has also worked extensively on the bioenvironmental malaria control which led to many innovations in the subject. He is also acknowledged for his contributions to vector biology.
Sharma is known to have developed the Malaria Research Unit, New Delhi into a full-fledged Research Centre, the National Institute of Malaria Research (NIMR). He has also contributed to the popularisation of science, through his books, journals and education programs.
Positions held
Vinod Prakash Sharma has held many positions of importance, by way of recognition and those of responsibility, throughout his career.
Fellow of Royal Asiatic Society
Fellow of the National Academy of Medical Sciences,
Fellow of National Academy of Sciences (India), Allahabad
Fellow of Indian Academy of Sciences, Bangalore
Fellow of Entomology Society of India, New Delhi
Fellow of National Environmental Science Academy, New Delhi
Fellow of Indian Society for Parasitology
Fellow of Indian Society of Malaria and other communicable diseases
Honorary Fellow – Indian Academy of Environmental Sciences, Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh
Honorary Fellow – Indian Academy of Environmental Sciences, Hardwar
Fellow – Zoological Society of India
President of National Academy of Vector borne Diseases
President of National Academy of Sciences (India), Allahabad
President of Indian Society for Parasitology
Council Member – International Congress of Entomology
board member – Malaria Foundation Incorporated
Governing Council Member – ICMR
Member – WHO Expert Committee on Malaria
Awards and recognitions
Padma Bhushan – 2014
Gujar Mal Modi Award – 2013
Meghnad Saha Distinguished Fellowship
Padma Shri – 1992
WHO Darling Foundation Prize – 1999
GI Inventions Award
Chancellor's Prize
M. O. T. Aiyengar Award
B. R. Ambedkar Centenary Award – 2000
Om Prakash Bhasin Award – 1985
Ranbaxy Award – 1990
M. L. Gupta Trust Award
FICCI Cash Award – 1998
Vaswik Award
Green Scientist Award – 2001
Best Scientist Award
G. P. Chatterjee Memorial Award
Dr. R. V. Rajaram Oration Award
Dr. U. S. Srivastava Memorial Lecture Award
Professor L. S. Ramaswami Memorial Oration Award
Life Time Achievement Award by the Indian Society of Malaria and other communicable diseases
B. N. Singh Oration Award
B. K. Srivastava Oration Award
Distinguished Parasitologist – World Parasitologist Federation (WPF) – 2010
Gold Medal lifetime Achievement Award – Indian Academy of Environmental Sciences – 2012
Works
Sharma was the Chief Editor of an important journal, the Journal of Parasitic Diseases, which was active in dissemination of knowledge by publishing reviews and research papers on a regular basis. He was also the Chief Editor of the in-house journal of the National Academy of Sciences, India.
He has also published many books on the subjects of bioenvironmental control and vector biology, both in English and Hindi languages.
Books in English
K.J. Nath & V.P. Sharma (2008). Safe Water for community health. The National Academy of sciences, India Allahabad publication.
P.P. Singh & V.P. Sharma (2010). Human Parasitic Infections of Pharmaceutical and National Health Importance. The National Academy of sciences, India Allahabad publication.
V.P. Sharma (2010). Nature at Work: Ongoing Saga of Evolution. The National Academy of sciences, India Allahabad publication.
P.P. Singh & V.P. Sharma (2014). Water and Health. Currently under production by Springer India/Germany. The National Academy of sciences, India Allahabad publication.
Satyawati Sharma, Santosh Satya, Annushree Malik and V.P. Sharma (2014). Women and Development: Green Technologies. The National Academy of sciences, India Allahabad publication.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
Books in Hindi
V.P. Sharma (translated by Manvendra Tripathi) (2012). Malaria Anusandhan Se Rog Samadhan. The National Academy of sciences, India Allahabad publication.
V.P. Sharma (translated by Manvendra Tripathi) (2014). Dengue and Chikungunya ka Vivran tatha Bachav aur Upchar. ICMR.
Apart from the books, Sharma has written over 300 research papers in various national and international journals.
V. P. Sharma (2012). "Battling Malaria Iceberg Incorporating Strategic Reforms in Achieving Millennium Development Goals and Malaria Elimination in India". Indian Journal of Medical Research. 136 (6): 907–925. PMC 3612321. PMID 23391787.
V. P. Sharma (2012). "Continuing challenge of malaria in India". Current Science. 102 (5): 678–682.
Jacob John, T., Lalit Dandona, Vinod P Sharma, Manish Kakkar (2011). "Continuing challenge of malaria in India". The Lancet. 377 (9761): 252–269. doi:10.1016/s0140-6736(10)61265-2. PMID 21227500. S2CID 28464897.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
Sharma V. P .; Prabhat Jha; Neeraj Dhingra; Raju M Jotkar; Richard Peto (2011). "Malaria-attributed death rates in India". The Lancet. 377 (9770): 994–995. doi:10.1016/s0140-6736(11)60383-8. S2CID 205962145.
Cohen, Alan A., Neeraj Dhingra, Raju M Jotkar, Peter S Rodriguez, Vinod P Sharma and Prabhat Jha (2010). "The Summary Index of Malaria Surveillance (SIMS): a stable index of malaria within India". Population Health Metrics. 8 (1): 1. doi:10.1186/1478-7954-8-1. PMC 2847540. PMID 20181218.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
Neeraj Dhingra N; Prabhat Jha; Vinod P Sharma; Alan A Cohen; Raju M Jotkar; Peter S Rodriguez; Diego G Bassani; Wilson Suraweera; Ramanan Laxminarayan; Richard Peto (2010). "Adult and child malaria mortality in India: a nationally representative mortality survey". The Lancet. 376 (9754): 1768–1774. doi:10.1016/s0140-6736(10)60831-8. PMC 3021416. PMID 20970179.
Vinod P Sharma (2009). "Accelerating the Pace of Roll Back Malaria in India". Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. India. 79(B) (special issue): 13–21.
Jacob John, T., Lalit Dandona, Vinod P Sharma, Manish Kakkar (2011). "Hidden burden of malaria in Indian women". Malaria Journal. 8 (281): 252–269. doi:10.1186/1475-2875-8-281. PMC 2799428. PMID 19995437.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
Vinod P Sharma, ed. (2008). "Work of WHO: Malaria In: Sixty Years of WHO". South East Asia Regional Office of the World Health Organization, New Delhi.
M. G. K. Menon & V. P. Sharma (2008). "Malaria and Other Vector Borne Diseases in South Asia. In: Sustainable Management of Water resources: Emerging Science and Technology Issues in South Asia". INSA (9761).