National Award for Dr Subhas Mukherjee
The Issue
The Indian journey of Assisted Reproduction Therapy began in Kolkata on 3 October 1978, when Dr Subhas Mukherjee invented the simplest and most successful technique of creating a test tube baby, scientifically known as in-vitro fertilization (IVF). Such an incredible scientific breakthrough happened surprisingly at the same time, both in the UK as well as in India, even though the methodologies in two countries were markedly different. Hence, this discovery definitely broke the age old mindset that all scientific researches begin in the “West” and then spread to the “Rest of the World”.
The discovery of most progressive technique undoubtedly transformed the treatment options for infertile couples, who truly did have very little hope earlier. This was also a revolutionary milestone in the field of Reproductive Medicine, which brought smiles in the faces of millions of couples in the years to come. The pioneering work was the brainchild of an ingenious, resourceful and inspirational scientist whose passionate approach to overcome infertility is a beacon in today’s time. Sadly enough, at the time of this discovery, his incredible feat was declared implausible, heavily mocked by his peers and shrouded from the rest of the world by his fellow countrymen, so that he never received the acclaim that he deserved in his lifetime. Instead, he faced insults, criticism, humiliations, ostracisation from peers, bureaucratic negligence and refusal in allowing him to present his work in international conferences, all of which lead him to commit suicide in 1981.
Dr Mukherjee, was the first medical scientist in the world to use 1) hormones for ovarian stimulation in IVF, 2) trans-vaginal approach for ovum pick-up, 3) cryopreservation of human embryos, and 4) transfer of a frozen embryo in a subsequent untreated cycle. These unique ideas were different from the techniques followed by Professor Robert G Edwards and Dr Patrick Steptoe towards the birth of first test tube baby Louise Brown in the UK. The world’s second and Asia’s first test tube baby Durga, alias Kanupriya Agarwal, was born in Kolkata only 67 days after Louise Brown. Incidentally, that was also the world's first birth following frozen embryo transfer (FET). She had the courage and conviction to come forward on her 25th birthday to acknowledge that she was born following IVF treatment by Dr Mukherjee. She, along with her parents and all associates of Dr Mukherjee, have pleaded to different authorities on several occasions for a national award to acknowledge the unsung hero of India.
As an Indian doctor working in the field of Reproductive Medicine, I feel honoured that all my colleagues throughout the world have been following Dr Mukherjee’s techniques as the standard treatment, rather than that of Steptoe and Edwards. Hence, he will continue to live forever in the minds of all infertility specialists through his outstanding scientific contributions. However, his discovery is yet to be recognised by any award or naming any medical institution or street after him, neither by the State nor by the Central Government of India. Since the Nobel Prize is not awarded posthumously, his name was not considered in 2010, when Professor Robert G Edwards received the award. Sadly, India lost the opportunity of receiving the first ever Noble Prize in Medicine. However, Dr Mukherjee has been named as one of the three scientists from Kolkata, the other two being Sir Ronald Ross and Sir U N Brahmachari, in the Dictionary of Medical Biography of 1100 scientists who made path breaking contributions in the last century.
Dr Mukherjee was one of the greatest scientists that India has ever produced and most importantly, he contributed immensely within limited facilities of India. All his researches were for the benefits of helpless infertile couples, who face ridicule as well as ostracisation, particularly in our society and also go through severe mental agony for their sad inability to procreate. We Indians have a duty to keep the legacy of Dr Mukherjee alive and ensure that his research works are rightfully given their place in history. A national award for his achievements is well earned and long overdue. This would definitely inspire many more Indian scientists not to leave our homeland and settle abroad for pursuing research towards the betterment of mankind.
On the 90th Birth Anniversary of Dr Mukherjee and the 75th year of India’s independence, when we pledge for “Atma Nirbhar Bharat”, the members of the medical community request you to kindly consider honouring the visionary and pioneer of Assisted Reproduction Therapy with a national award. He deserves either the “Bharat-Ratna” or at least the “Padma-Bibhushan” posthumously. It would also be a great honour for all the doctors and scientists in the field of Reproductive Medicine, if Government of India declares 3rd October, the birthday of India's first test tube and world's first frozen embryo transfer baby, as the “National Fertility Day”.
Professor T C Anand Kumar, the chief of NIRRH of ICMR, acknowledged Dr Subhas Mukherjee’s work. He was the mastermind behind the first “scientifically documented” test tube baby of India, born in the year 1986. He scientifically reviewed Dr Mukherjee’s research papers and took a very courageous step to give the full credit to Dr Mukherjee for his pioneering feat. As a true scientist, he had the magnanimity to accept that his predecessor, Dr Mukherjee was “far ahead of his time” and others who followed his footsteps including himself were rather “dwarfs” as compared to the true inventor. He accepted that Dr Mukherjee’s technique was far simpler, effective and convenient for the patients. He wrote many scientific articles to inform the medical fraternity of the world that it is not him but Dr Mukherjee should have been credited with the achievement of India’s First and World’s Second test tube baby. He could have kept quite rather than give away the name and fame, but as a true scientist, with his quest for the truth, he gave up his own laurels. He lived up to the words of Albert Einstein – “The search of truth is more precious than its possession”.
4,997
The Issue
The Indian journey of Assisted Reproduction Therapy began in Kolkata on 3 October 1978, when Dr Subhas Mukherjee invented the simplest and most successful technique of creating a test tube baby, scientifically known as in-vitro fertilization (IVF). Such an incredible scientific breakthrough happened surprisingly at the same time, both in the UK as well as in India, even though the methodologies in two countries were markedly different. Hence, this discovery definitely broke the age old mindset that all scientific researches begin in the “West” and then spread to the “Rest of the World”.
The discovery of most progressive technique undoubtedly transformed the treatment options for infertile couples, who truly did have very little hope earlier. This was also a revolutionary milestone in the field of Reproductive Medicine, which brought smiles in the faces of millions of couples in the years to come. The pioneering work was the brainchild of an ingenious, resourceful and inspirational scientist whose passionate approach to overcome infertility is a beacon in today’s time. Sadly enough, at the time of this discovery, his incredible feat was declared implausible, heavily mocked by his peers and shrouded from the rest of the world by his fellow countrymen, so that he never received the acclaim that he deserved in his lifetime. Instead, he faced insults, criticism, humiliations, ostracisation from peers, bureaucratic negligence and refusal in allowing him to present his work in international conferences, all of which lead him to commit suicide in 1981.
Dr Mukherjee, was the first medical scientist in the world to use 1) hormones for ovarian stimulation in IVF, 2) trans-vaginal approach for ovum pick-up, 3) cryopreservation of human embryos, and 4) transfer of a frozen embryo in a subsequent untreated cycle. These unique ideas were different from the techniques followed by Professor Robert G Edwards and Dr Patrick Steptoe towards the birth of first test tube baby Louise Brown in the UK. The world’s second and Asia’s first test tube baby Durga, alias Kanupriya Agarwal, was born in Kolkata only 67 days after Louise Brown. Incidentally, that was also the world's first birth following frozen embryo transfer (FET). She had the courage and conviction to come forward on her 25th birthday to acknowledge that she was born following IVF treatment by Dr Mukherjee. She, along with her parents and all associates of Dr Mukherjee, have pleaded to different authorities on several occasions for a national award to acknowledge the unsung hero of India.
As an Indian doctor working in the field of Reproductive Medicine, I feel honoured that all my colleagues throughout the world have been following Dr Mukherjee’s techniques as the standard treatment, rather than that of Steptoe and Edwards. Hence, he will continue to live forever in the minds of all infertility specialists through his outstanding scientific contributions. However, his discovery is yet to be recognised by any award or naming any medical institution or street after him, neither by the State nor by the Central Government of India. Since the Nobel Prize is not awarded posthumously, his name was not considered in 2010, when Professor Robert G Edwards received the award. Sadly, India lost the opportunity of receiving the first ever Noble Prize in Medicine. However, Dr Mukherjee has been named as one of the three scientists from Kolkata, the other two being Sir Ronald Ross and Sir U N Brahmachari, in the Dictionary of Medical Biography of 1100 scientists who made path breaking contributions in the last century.
Dr Mukherjee was one of the greatest scientists that India has ever produced and most importantly, he contributed immensely within limited facilities of India. All his researches were for the benefits of helpless infertile couples, who face ridicule as well as ostracisation, particularly in our society and also go through severe mental agony for their sad inability to procreate. We Indians have a duty to keep the legacy of Dr Mukherjee alive and ensure that his research works are rightfully given their place in history. A national award for his achievements is well earned and long overdue. This would definitely inspire many more Indian scientists not to leave our homeland and settle abroad for pursuing research towards the betterment of mankind.
On the 90th Birth Anniversary of Dr Mukherjee and the 75th year of India’s independence, when we pledge for “Atma Nirbhar Bharat”, the members of the medical community request you to kindly consider honouring the visionary and pioneer of Assisted Reproduction Therapy with a national award. He deserves either the “Bharat-Ratna” or at least the “Padma-Bibhushan” posthumously. It would also be a great honour for all the doctors and scientists in the field of Reproductive Medicine, if Government of India declares 3rd October, the birthday of India's first test tube and world's first frozen embryo transfer baby, as the “National Fertility Day”.
Professor T C Anand Kumar, the chief of NIRRH of ICMR, acknowledged Dr Subhas Mukherjee’s work. He was the mastermind behind the first “scientifically documented” test tube baby of India, born in the year 1986. He scientifically reviewed Dr Mukherjee’s research papers and took a very courageous step to give the full credit to Dr Mukherjee for his pioneering feat. As a true scientist, he had the magnanimity to accept that his predecessor, Dr Mukherjee was “far ahead of his time” and others who followed his footsteps including himself were rather “dwarfs” as compared to the true inventor. He accepted that Dr Mukherjee’s technique was far simpler, effective and convenient for the patients. He wrote many scientific articles to inform the medical fraternity of the world that it is not him but Dr Mukherjee should have been credited with the achievement of India’s First and World’s Second test tube baby. He could have kept quite rather than give away the name and fame, but as a true scientist, with his quest for the truth, he gave up his own laurels. He lived up to the words of Albert Einstein – “The search of truth is more precious than its possession”.
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Petition created on 17 September 2021