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{{short description|Indian mycologist, taxonomist and plant pathologist}}
{{EngvarB|date=March 2018}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2018}}
{{Infobox scientist
| name = C. V. Subramanian
| image =
| alt =
| caption =
| birth_date = {{birth date|df=y|1924|8|11}}
| birth_place = [[Ernakulam]], Kerala India
| death_date = {{death date and age|df=y|2016|2|5|1924|8|11|}}
| death_place = [[Bangkok]], Thailand
| residence = {{ublist |[[Chennai]], India}}
| nationality = [[Indian nationality|Indian]]
| fields = [[Mycology]] [[Plant pathology]]
| workplaces = {{ublist | [[Indian Agricultural Research Institute]] | [[University of Rajasthan]] | [[University of Madras]]}}
| alma_mater = {{ublist |[[University of Madras]] | [[University of Cambridge]] | [[Commonwealth Mycological Institute]]}}
| doctoral_advisor = [[Toppur Seethapathy Sadasivan|T. S. Sadasivan]]
| doctoral_students =
| known_for = Studies on [[Fungi imperfecti]]
| awards = 1944 [[University of Madras|UoM]] Pulney Andi Gold Medal 1965 [[Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize]] 1973 [[Rafi Ahmed Kidwai Award]] 1972 [[Indian Botanical Society|IBS]] Birbal Sahni Medal 2000 [[Janaki Ammal#Janaki Ammal National Award for Taxonomy|Janaki Ammal National Award]] 2009 [[Indian Botanical Society|IBS]] Lifetime Achievement Award
}}
'''Chirayathumadom Venkatachalier Subramanian''' (11 August 1924–5 February 2016), popularly known as '''CVS''', was an Indian [[mycologist]], [[taxonomist]] and [[plant pathologist]], known for his work on the classification of [[Fungi imperfecti]], a group of fungi classified separately due to lack of specific [[Taxonomy (biology)|taxonomic]] characteristics.<ref name="Brief Profile of the Awardee">{{cite web | url=http://ssbprize.gov.in/Content/Detail.aspx?AID=80 | title=Brief Profile of the Awardee | publisher=Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize |year=2016 | access-date=4 September 2016}}</ref> He authored one monograph, ''Hyphomycetes: An Account of Indian Species, Except Cercosporae''<ref name="Subramanian1971">{{cite book|author=Chirayathumadom Venkatachalier Subramanian|title=Hyphomycetes: An Account of Indian Species, Except Cercosporae|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XJIMAQAAMAAJ|year=1971|publisher=Indian Council of Agricultural Research}}</ref> and three books, ''Hyphomycetes, taxonomy and biology'',<ref name="Subramanian1983">{{cite book|author=Chirayathumadom Venkatachalier Subramanian|title=Hyphomycetes, taxonomy and biology|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yTslAQAAMAAJ|year=1983|publisher=Academic Press|isbn=978-0-12-675620-3}}</ref> ''Moulds, Mushrooms and Men''<ref name="Subramanian1976">{{cite book|author=Chirayathumadom Venkatachalier Subramanian|title=Moulds, Mushrooms and Men|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=d11GywAACAAJ|year=1976|publisher=Birbal Sahni Institute of Paleobotany}}</ref> and ''Soil microfungi of Israel'',<ref name="SubramanianVasser2001">{{cite book|author1=Chirayathumadom Venkatachalier Subramanian|author2=Solomon Pavlovich Vasser|title=Soil microfungi of Israel|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=v5MlAQAAMAAJ|year=2001|publisher=A.R.A. Gantner|isbn=978-3-904144-76-6}}</ref> besides several articles published in peer reviewed journals. He was a recipient of many honours including the [[Rafi Ahmed Kidwai Award]] of the [[Indian Council of Agricultural Research]], the [[Janaki Ammal#Janaki Ammal National Award for Taxonomy|Janaki Ammal National Award]] of the Government of India<ref name="Professor C.V. Subramanian - 1924 - 2016">{{cite web | url=http://www.britmycolsoc.org.uk/society/obituaries/professor-cv-subramanian-1924-2016/ | title=Professor C.V. Subramanian – 1924 – 2016 | publisher=British Mycological Society |year=2016 | access-date=4 September 2016}}</ref> and seven species of fungi have been named after him.<ref name="C. V. Subramanian on Neglected Science">{{cite web | url=http://www.neglectedscience.com/alphabetical-list/s/chirayathumadom-venkatachalier-subramanian | title=C. V. Subramanian on Neglected Science | publisher=Neglected Science |year=2016 | access-date=4 September 2016}}</ref> The [[Council of Scientific and Industrial Research]], the apex agency of the Government of India for scientific research, awarded him the [[Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize for Science and Technology]], one of the highest Indian science awards, in 1965, for his contributions to biological sciences.<ref name="View Bhatnagar Awardees">{{cite web | url=http://ssbprize.gov.in/Content/AwardeeList.aspx | title=View Bhatnagar Awardees | publisher=Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize |year=2016 | access-date=4 September 2016}}</ref>

== Biography ==
C. V. Subramanian was born on 11 August 1924 at [[Kochi]] in [[Ernakulam district]], the commercial capital<ref name="About">{{cite web | url=http://www.kerala.me/districts/ernakulam | title=About | publisher=Kerala.me |year=2016 | access-date=4 September 2016}}</ref> of the south Indian state of [[Kerala]], to T. D. Parvathi Ammal and C. M. Venkatachalier, a lawyer.<ref name="Living Legends in Indian Science">{{cite journal | url=http://www.currentscience.ac.in/Volumes/106/10/1438.pdf | title=Living Legends in Indian Science | author=D. Jayarama Bhat, J. Muthumary, C. Rajendran, S. Raghu Kumar and B. P. R. Vittal | journal=Current Science | date=May 2014 | volume=106 | issue=10}}</ref> He did his schooling at [[Sree Rama Varma High School]], a government-run school in the city and did his early college studies at [[Maharaja's College, Ernakulam|Maharaja's College]] after which he joined the [[Presidency College, Chennai]] from where he graduated (BSc Hons) with first rank in 1941. It was during this period he had the opportunity to meet [[M. O. P. Iyengar]], the renowned [[Phycology|algologist]], who was known to have fostered Subramanian's interest in [[phycology]]. Before completing his master's degree (MA) in [[mycology]] in 1944, he prepared his first dissertation on [[Acanthus ilicifolius]], a [[halophyte]] found in the saline waters of western coastal India. Subsequently, he joined [[Toppur Seethapathy Sadasivan]]{{Refn|group=note|[[Toppur Seethapathy Sadasivan]] was the first recipient of the [[Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize]] for Bialogical Sciences.<ref name="View Bhatnagar Awardees" />}} as the first research student of the [[plant pathologist]] who also headed the ''Centre for Advanced Studies in Botany'' of the [[University of Madras]] during that time. He received his doctoral degree (PhD) in 1948 for his thesis, ''Soil conditions and wilt diseases in plants with special reference to [[Fusarium]] vasinfectum Atk. on cotton'' after which he continued his research on mycology and did post-doctoral research, on an ICS fellowship of the [[Indian National Science Academy]] (then known as the National Institute of Sciences of India) at the Botany School of [[Cambridge University]] and, later at [[Commonwealth Mycological Institute]], UK where he was associated with known mycologists, Stephen Denis Garrett and E. W. Mason.<ref name="Living Legends in Indian Science" />

Subramanian started his academic career in 1951 when he joined the [[University of Madras]] as a senior lecturer where he rose to the position of a reader in 1953.<ref name="Personal News - Chirayathumadom Venkatachalier Subramanian">{{cite journal | url=http://www.currentscience.ac.in/Volumes/110/05/0922.pdf | title=Personal News – Chirayathumadom Venkatachalier Subramanian | author=H. Y. Mohan Ram | journal=Current Science | date=March 2016 | volume=110 | issue=5 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160911110706/http://www.currentscience.ac.in/Volumes/110/05/0922.pdf | archive-date=11 September 2016 }}</ref> During this period, he continued his researches and his published work, ''Floristic and taxonomic studies on [[Fungi Imperfecti]]'', earned him the degree of DSc in 1957 from the University of Madras. A year later, the [[Indian Agricultural Research Institute]] created a new ''Chair in Plant Pathology'' and invited Subramanian to hold the position which he did till his move to the [[University of Rajasthan]] in 1960. There, he established the Department of Botany and headed the department as its founder professor till his return to Madras University in 1964 as a professor of Botany. In 1973, he succeeded his mentor, [[Toppur Seethapathy Sadasivan|T. S. Sadasivan]] as the head of the ''Centre for Advanced Study in Botany'', a position he held till his superannuation in 1985.<ref name="Living Legends in Indian Science" /> He continued his academic career past his official retirement and worked as a visiting professor at such institutions as the [[National University of Singapore]], the [[University of Western Australia]] and the [[National Taiwan University]].<ref name="Professor C.V. Subramanian - 1924 - 2016" />

Subramanian was married to Subbalakshmi and the couple lived in [[Nungambakkam]], [[Chennai]].<ref name="Living Legends in Indian Science" /> It was during one of his trips to Thailand, he died in [[Bangkok]] on 5 February 2016, at the age of 91, survived by his wife and two sons, C. S. Venkatachalam and C. S. Seshadri, both engineers by profession.<ref name="Personal News - Chirayathumadom Venkatachalier Subramanian" />

== Legacy ==

===Professional contributions ===
Subramanian was involved with a number of science academies and societies in India, starting with his membership of the [[Indian Academy of Sciences]] at the age of 32, reportedly chosen personally by [[C. V. Raman]], the renowned physicist,<ref name="Professor C.V. Subramanian - 1924 - 2016" /> where he would later serve as the vice-president from 1977 to 1985.<ref name="Fellow Profile">{{cite web | url=http://www.ias.ac.in/describe/fellow/Subramanian,_Prof._Chirayathumadom_Venkatachalier | title=Fellow Profile | publisher=Indian Academy of Sciences |year=2016 | access-date=5 September 2016}}</ref> He served as a member of the [[Indian National Science Academy]], [[International Union of Biological Sciences]], [[Royal Academies for Science and the Arts of Belgium]] and [[British Mycological Society]]. He was the president of the [[International Mycological Association]] in 1977 and presided over its annual congress held in Tokyo in 1983.<ref name="Professor C.V. Subramanian - 1924 - 2016" /> In 1973, he led a group of mycologists who founded the Mycological Society of India for promoting mycological researches.<ref name="Welcome">{{cite web | url=http://fungiindia.co.in/ | title=Welcome | publisher=Mycological Society of India |year=2016 | access-date=5 September 2016}}</ref> The society has since grown to be a national organisation with 400 members and interest in studies related to taxonomy, ecology, pathology, genetics, molecular biology and physiology. The society also publishes a journal, ''Kavaka'' and he was its founder editor, holding the position till 1998. He was also a member of the [[University Grants Commission (India)|University Grants Commission]] from 1977 to 1982.<ref name="Professor C.V. Subramanian - 1924 - 2016" /> It was reported that Subramanian personally appealed to [[Indira Gandhi]], the then Indian prime minister, to abandon the proposed hydro-electric project in the [[Silent Valley National Park|Silent Valley]], a [[Bio reserve|bio-reserve]] area in his home state of [[Kerala]], eventually leading to its declaration as a national park in 1985.<ref name="Living Legends in Indian Science" />

=== Scientific contributions ===
While serving as a senior lecturer at Madras University, Subramanian published a two-volume work in 1956 under the title, ''List of Indian Fungi'', which listed the known species of fungi in India.<ref name="List of Indian Fungi">{{cite book | title=List of Indian Fungi | publisher=Emkay Publications |author1=C. V. Subramanian |author2=K. Ramakrishnan | year=1956 | oclc=858868381}}</ref> Major focus of his research was on [[Fungi imperfecti]].<ref name="Handbook of Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize Winners">{{cite web | url=http://www.csirhrdg.res.in/ssb.pdf | title=Handbook of Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize Winners | publisher=Council of Scientific and Industrial Research | year=1999 | access-date=4 September 2016 | pages=36 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304043957/http://www.csirhrdg.res.in/ssb.pdf | archive-date=4 March 2016 | url-status=dead }}</ref> He was known to have conducted extensive research on [[Hyphomycetes]] and his work has been detailed in a monograph, ''Hyphomycetes: An Account of Indian Species, Except Cercosporae'', published in 1971<ref name="Subramanian1971"/> and another book, ''Hyphomycetes, taxonomy and biology'', published in 1983,<ref name="Subramanian1983"/> where he proposed a classification based on [[conidium]] [[ontogenesis]]. He also proposed a new nomenclature protocol based on [[Sanskrit]] terminology;<ref name="Personal News - Chirayathumadom Venkatachalier Subramanian" /> [[MycoBank]], an online repository managed by the [[International Mycological Association]] has listed 384 genera of fungi named by him and Angulimaya,<ref name="Angulimaya">{{cite web | url=http://www.catalogueoflife.org/annual-checklist/2011/search/all/key/angulimaya+sundara/match/1 | title=Angulimaya | publisher=Catalogue of Life |year=2016 | access-date=5 September 2016}}</ref> Dwayabeeja,<ref name="Dwayabeeja">{{cite web | url=http://www.mycobank.org/BioloMICS.aspx?TableKey=14682616000000067&Rec=94960&Fields=All | title=Dwayabeeja | publisher=MycoBank |year=2016 | access-date=5 September 2016}}</ref> [[Kutilakesa pironii|Kutilakesa]], Nalalanthamala, and Tharoopama<ref name="Tharoopama">{{cite web | url=http://www.mycobank.org/BioloMICS.aspx?TableKey=14682616000000067&Rec=98571&Fields=All | title=Tharoopama | publisher=MycoBank |year=2016 | access-date=5 September 2016}}</ref> are some of them.<ref name="Search on : Mycobank">{{cite web | url=http://www.mycobank.org/BioloMICS.aspx?TableKey=14682616000000067&Rec=98571&Fields=All | title=Search on : Mycobank | publisher=MycoBank |year=2016 | access-date=5 September 2016}}</ref> He worked on the re-assessment of Dematiaceous hyphomycetes and his work assisted in reclassifying the genus by attempting to disprove that Sporidesmium had a different ancestral species ([[monophyletic]]).<ref name="Living Legends in Indian Science" /> [[Aspergillus]], a genus of moulds, was another subject of his developmental taxonomical studies and his research on its [[Teleomorph, anamorph and holomorph|teleomorphs]] helped in the better understanding of the fungi. His researches also explained the ''systematics, distribution and ecological behaviour'' of [[Fusarium]] and [[Drechslera]], two plant pathogens.<ref name="Handbook of Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize Winners" /> He documented his researches in several articles and books besides the ones noted above; ''Moulds, Mushrooms and Men''<ref name="Subramanian1976"/> and ''Soil microfungi of Israel''<ref name="SubramanianVasser2001"/> are two such works.

== Awards and honours ==
The [[University of Madras]] awarded Subramanian the Pulney Andi Gold Medal in 1944 for academic excellence on his completion of the master's degree.<ref name="Living Legends in Indian Science" /> The [[Indian Academy of Sciences]] elected him as their fellow in 1955<ref name="Fellow Profile" /> and [[Indian National Science Academy]] followed suit with their fellowship in 1960.<ref name="Deceased Fellow">{{Cite web |url=http://insaindia.res.in/detail/N60-0807 |title=Deceased Fellow |year=2016 |publisher=Indian National Science Academy |access-date=5 September 2016}}</ref> He received the [[Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize]], one of the highest Indian science awards, from the [[Council of Scientific and Industrial Research]] in 1965.<ref name="Brief Profile of the Awardee" /> The Birbal Sahni Medal of the [[Indian Botanical Society]] reached him in 1972; the society would again honour him in 2009 with their Lifetime Achievement Award.<ref name="Personal News - Chirayathumadom Venkatachalier Subramanian" /> The [[Indian Council of Agricultural Research]] awarded him the [[Rafi Ahmed Kidwai Award]] in 1973 and he held the [[Jawaharlal Nehru Fellowship]] from 1976 to 1978.<ref name="List of Jawaharlal Nehru Fellows">{{cite web | url=http://www.jnmf.in/flist.html | title=List of Jawaharlal Nehru Fellows | publisher=Jawaharlal Nehru Memorial Fund |year=2016 | access-date=5 September 2016}}</ref> The [[Mycological Society of America]] selected him as their honorary member in 1983<ref name="Current MSA Honorary Members">{{cite web | url=http://msafungi.org/msa-awards/honorary-members/ | title=Current MSA Honorary Members | publisher=Mycological Society of America |year=2016 | access-date=5 September 2016 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160202031434/http://msafungi.org/msa-awards/honorary-members/ | archive-date=2 February 2016 }}</ref> and the Government of India awarded him the [[Janaki Ammal#Janaki Ammal National Award for Taxonomy|E. K. Janaki Ammal National Award]] for Taxonomy in 2000.<ref name="Living Legends in Indian Science" /> The scientific community honoured Subramanian for his work; [[Subramaniula]], Subramanianospora, Subramaniomyces, Subramania, Ceeveesubramaniomyces, Civisubramaniana and [[Ascosubramania]] are seven species of fungi named after him.<ref name="C. V. Subramanian on Neglected Science" />

== Selected bibliography ==
* {{cite book | title=List of Indian Fungi | publisher=Emkay Publications |author1=C. V. Subramanian |author2=K. Ramakrishnan | year=1956 | oclc=858868381}}
* {{cite book|author=Chirayathumadom Venkatachalier Subramanian|title=Hyphomycetes: An Account of Indian Species, Except Cercosporae|year=1971|publisher=Indian Council of Agricultural Research}}
* {{cite book | title=Taxonomy of fungi : proceedings of the International Symposium on Taxonomy of Fungi (2 volumes) | publisher=University of Madras | author=C. V. Subramanian | year=1973 | oclc=5281883}}
* {{cite book|author=Chirayathumadom Venkatachalier Subramanian|title=Moulds, Mushrooms and Men|year=1976|publisher=Birbal Sahni Institute of Paleobotany}}
* {{cite journal | title=Tropical Mycology: Future Needs and Development | author=C. V. Subramanian | journal=Current Science | date=April 1982 | volume=51 | issue=7}}
* {{cite book|author=Chirayathumadom Venkatachalier Subramanian|title=Hyphomycetes, taxonomy and biology|year=1983|publisher=Academic Press|isbn=978-0-12-675620-3}}
* {{cite journal | title=A new species of ''Spegazzinia'' from Western Australia | author=C. V. Subramanian | journal=Proc. Indian Acad. Sci. (Plant Sci.) | date=April 1988 | volume=98 | issue=2 | pages=67–69 | doi=10.1007/BF03053392| s2cid=134920625 |url=https://www.ias.ac.in/describe/article/plnt/098/02/0067-0069}}
* {{cite book|author1=Chirayathumadom Venkatachalier Subramanian|author2=Solomon Pavlovich Vasser|title=Soil microfungi of Israel|year=2001|publisher=A.R.A. Gantner|isbn=978-3-904144-76-6}}

{{botanist|Subram.|inline=yes}}

== See also ==
{{Div col}}
* [[Subramaniula]]
* [[Ascosubramania]]
* [[Toppur Seethapathy Sadasivan]]
* [[List of Madras University alumni]]
* [[Mycological Society of America]]
{{div col end}}
{{portal|India|Biology}}

== Notes ==
{{Reflist|group=note}}

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
* {{cite web | url=http://kiki.huh.harvard.edu/databases/botanist_search.php?mode=details&id=77078 | title=Subramanian, Chirayathumadom Venkatachalier | work=Index of Botanists | publisher=Harvard University Herbaria & Libraries |year=2016 | access-date=4 September 2016}}

== Further reading ==
* {{cite journal | url=http://connection.ebscohost.com/c/articles/96265833/c-v-subramanian | title=C. V. Subramanian |author1=Bhat, D. Jayarama |author2=Muthumary, J. |author3=Rajendran, C. |author4=Kumar, S. Raghu |author5=Vittal, B. P. R. | journal=Current Science | date=May 2014 | volume=106 | issue=10 | pages=1438}}{{dead link|date=November 2020|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}
* {{cite journal | url=http://repository.ias.ac.in/51719/1/1-pub.pdf | title=Tropical Mycology: Future Needs and Development | author=C. V. Subramanian | journal=Current Science | date=April 1982 | volume=51 | issue=7}}

{{SSBPST recipients in Biological Science}}
{{Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Laureates of Tamil Nadu}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Subramanian, C. V.}}
[[Category:Recipients of the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Award in Biological Science]]
[[Category:1924 births]]
[[Category:2016 deaths]]
[[Category:Indian botanical writers]]
[[Category:Indian mycologists]]
[[Category:Phytopathologists]]
[[Category:Indian taxonomists]]
[[Category:University of Madras alumni]]
[[Category:University of Madras faculty]]
[[Category:Maharaja's College, Ernakulam alumni]]
[[Category:Presidency College, Chennai alumni]]
[[Category:Alumni of the University of Cambridge]]
[[Category:University of Rajasthan faculty]]
[[Category:National University of Singapore faculty]]
[[Category:University of Western Australia faculty]]
[[Category:National Taiwan University faculty]]
[[Category:Fellows of the Indian Academy of Sciences]]
[[Category:Fellows of the Indian National Science Academy]]
[[Category:Jawaharlal Nehru Fellows]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian botanists]]
[[Category:Scientists from Kochi]]
[[Category:Indian popular science writers]]
[[Category:Writers from Kochi]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian non-fiction writers]]
[[Category:Indian expatriates in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Indian expatriates in Taiwan]]
[[Category:Indian expatriates in Australia]]
[[Category:Indian expatriates in Singapore]]

C. V. Subramanian - Revision history

->Citation bot at 03:43, 4 September 2021