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Lalji Singh, a man who braved all odds to become one of the leading scientists had a humble beginning from a village in Uttar Pradesh. Here’s something about the life of this honorary scientist who was born in 1947, a few weeks before India gained independence.
Born on 5th July 1947
Lalji Singh, the prominent Indian scientist, was born in 1947 and raised in a tiny village named Kalwari in the Jaunpur District of Uttar Pradesh. Till 8th grade, his childhood years went on smoothly. His father, who was a farmer and the head of the village, wanted his son to get educated and make it big. So, when he learnt that the village was not facilitated with senior classes, Lalji was sent to a nearby village named Pratapganj to complete his senior years of schooling.
Commuting to Pratapganj village meant that each day he had to travel 6-7 kilometers to get to his school. The struggle bore great fruits and after completing 12th grade in the science stream, he was enrolled into the Banaras Hindu University to pursue his graduation in Cytogenetics and Zoology.
Lalji did not stop at Bachelor’s. He went on to obtain a Master’s degree and won the Banaras Hindu Gold Medal for securing the first position in terms of merit. The University Grants Commission (UGC) rewarded him with a Junior Research Fellowship in 1966, and this marked the beginning of his elaborate scientific and research career.
During this period, he has been pictured holding several snakes with his bare hands for research purposes. He developed a research interest in the field of cytogenetics, particularly on the topic of “Evolution of karyotypes of snakes” until he published his findings as doctoral research published in the Chromosoma.
His contributions to science and technology are immense and noteworthy. In the summer of 1987, Lalji joined the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology in Hyderabad. While working here, he developed technology he is still widely remembered for.
This project was the DNA fingerprint technology for the forensic investigation of civil disputes and crime. This contribution along with several others won him the Padma Shri by the President of India in the year 2004. He served as the director of the CCMB till July 2009.
While working, he realised that he needs to give back to the university which gave him so much. So, in August 2009, he was appointed as the vice-chancellor of his alma mater, Banaras Hindu University.
Alongside this, Lalji Singh also founded an NGO named Genome Foundation. To put his knowledge of DNA and genes to good use, he established this organization to serve the noble cause of diagnosing and treating genetic disorders among the underprivileged. He also provided novel insights on the origin of humankind in terms of evolution and migration by conducting a study of the population of the Andaman and Nicobar islands.
Life was basically a smooth sail for him filled with scientific contributions and great awards and honours. All of this went on until one day when Lalji Singh arrived at the Lal Bahadur Shastri Airport to board a flight for Delhi. On reaching the premises, he complained of severe chest pain and was rushed to the Banaras Hindu University Trauma Centre. Unfortunately, he could not be saved and died after a heart attack on 10th December 2017, at the age of 70. India had lost one of its greatest scientists and gems. Lalji Singh shall remain immortal in the memories of every Indian for his contribution towards scientific development in the country.
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