Rkrakeshboro at 22:13, 19 April 2026

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{{Short description|Indian scientist}}
{{Use Indian English|date=December 2015}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Krishnaswamy Vijayraghavan
| image = K VijayRhagavan.jpg
| image_size =
| alt =
| caption = Vijayraghavan in December 2017
| honorific_suffix = [[Fellowship of the Royal Society|FRS]]
| office = 3rd [[Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India]]
| term_start = April 2018
| term_end = 2 April 2022
| president = [[Ram Nath Kovind]]
| prime_minister = [[Narendra Modi]]
| predecessor = [[Rajagopala Chidambaram]]
| successor = [[Ajay K. Sood]]
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1954|02|03}}
| birth_place =
| death_date = 
| death_place =
| resting_place =
| resting_place_coordinates = 
| citizenship =
}}

'''Krishnaswamy Vijayraghavan''' (born 3 February 1954) is an emeritus professor and former director of the [[National Centre for Biological Sciences]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Management and Administration of NCBS|url=http://www.ncbs.res.in/management}}</ref> On 26 March 2018, the [[Government of India]] appointed him as the [[Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India|Principal Scientific Adviser]] to succeed Dr. [[Rajagopala Chidambaram|R Chidamabaram]]. His term as Principal Scientific Adviser ended on 2 April 2022. In 2012, he was elected a [[List of fellows of the Royal Society S, T, U, V|fellow of The Royal Society]] and in April 2014 he was elected as a foreign associate of the [[US National Academy of Sciences]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=April 29, 2014: NAS Members and Foreign Associates Elected|url=http://www.nasonline.org/news-and-multimedia/news/april-29-2014-NAS-Election.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150818062140/http://www.nasonline.org/news-and-multimedia/news/april-29-2014-NAS-Election.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=2015-08-18|date=2015-08-18|access-date=2020-05-28}}</ref> He was conferred the [[Padma Shri]] on 26 January 2013 and is also a recipient of the [[Infosys Prize]] in the life sciences category in 2009.<ref>{{cite web|title=List of Padma Awardees – NDTV|url=http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/list-of-padma-awardees-322445|access-date=26 January 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Infosys Prize laureate in life sciences in 2009 – Prof. K. VijayRaghavan|url=http://www.infosys-science-foundation.com/winner_ls_VijayRaghavan.html|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110420052023/http://www.infosys-science-foundation.com/winner_ls_VijayRaghavan.html|archive-date=20 April 2011|access-date=17 January 2012}}</ref>

== Education and early career ==
Vijayraghavan graduated with a [[Bachelor of Technology]] degree in [[chemical engineering]] from [[Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur|IIT Kanpur]] in 1975 and a master's in 1977. He completed his doctoral research in 1983 in the field of molecular biology and holds a [[Ph.D.]] from the [[Tata Institute of Fundamental Research]]. During his post-doctoral work, from 1984 to 1985, he was a [[research fellow]] and then, from 1986 to 1988, a senior research fellow at the [[California Institute of Technology]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Prof. K. VijayRaghavan |url=https://iitk.ac.in/dora/profile/Prof-K-VijayRaghavan |access-date=2024-12-04 |website=IIT Kanpur}}</ref>

== Career in India ==
In 1988, he joined the [[Tata Institute of Fundamental Research]] as a Reader and in 1992, when the [[National Centre for Biological Sciences]] (NCBS), which is under the aegis of Tata Institute of Fundamental Research was founded, joined NCBS. In August 1991, he moved to Bangalore and was instrumental in the establishment of NCBS in Bangalore.<ref>{{cite web|title=History of National Centre of Biological Sciences|url=http://www.ncbs.res.in/history|access-date=18 January 2012}}</ref> He is an emeritus professor in the field of developmental genetics and former director of the National Centre of Biological Sciences.

His fields of specialization are [[developmental biology]], [[genetics]] and [[neurogenetics]]. His research primarily focuses on the important principles and mechanisms that control the nervous system and muscles during development and how these neuromuscular systems direct specific locomotor behaviours. This was achieved by using the fruit fly ''[[Drosophila melanogaster]]'' as a model system. By patterning the segmental organization of the fly body plan, his research was able to shed more light on the functions of Hox genes in directing neuromuscular connectivity and motor behaviours.

Vijayraghavan is a member of the board of governors of the [[Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology]],<ref>[http://www.oist.jp/board-governors Board of Governors | Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University OIST]. Oist.jp. Retrieved on 8 October 2013.</ref> and a senior editor of the journal ''[[eLife]]''.<ref>[http://www.elifesciences.org/about/elife-community/editorial-leadership/k-vijay-raghavan-senior-editor/ K Vijay Raghavan, Senior editor – Genetics & genomics] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130925131705/http://www.elifesciences.org/about/elife-community/editorial-leadership/k-vijay-raghavan-senior-editor/ |date=25 September 2013 }}. elifesciences.org</ref> Vijayraghavan was the secretary<ref>{{cite web|title=Secretary, Department of Biotechnology (DBT, India)|url=http://www.dbtindia.nic.in/secretary-profile|access-date=1 July 2016|archive-date=29 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201129184723/http://www.dbtindia.nic.in/secretary-profile/|url-status=dead}}</ref> of [[Department of Biotechnology]] (DBT), India, from January 2013 replacing [[Maharaj Kishan Bhan]]. to February 2018.<ref>[http://dbtindia.nic.in/news_management/PressreleaseDetails.asp?PressId=238&button=Edit Events:: DBT – Department of Biotechnology] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131109172154/http://dbtindia.nic.in/news_management/PressreleaseDetails.asp?PressId=238&button=Edit|date=9 November 2013}}. Dbtindia.nic.in (28 January 2013). Retrieved on 8 October 2013.</ref>

Vijayraghavan led a 9-member committee, under the [[Prime Minister's Office (India)|Prime Minister's Office]], to advise on reforms for the DRDO, and the committee submitted its report in January 2024.<ref name=":2">{{Cite news |last=Pandit |first=Rajat |date=2024-07-30 |title=DRDO overhaul on course, government to also take final call on 'contentious' reforms |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/drdo-overhaul-on-course-government-to-also-take-final-call-on-contentious-reforms/articleshow/112118013.cms |access-date=2024-10-27 |work=The Times of India |issn=0971-8257}}</ref>

== Honors and achievements ==
In 1997, he was elected fellow of the [[Indian Academy of Sciences]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Fellow Profile of Prof. Krishnaswamy VijayRaghavan|url=http://www.ias.ac.in/php/fell_detail.php3?name=VijayRaghavan&intials=Krishnaswamy&year=03-02-1954|access-date=18 January 2012}}</ref>

In 1998, [[Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize for Science and Technology|Bhatnagar Prize for Science and Technology]] award by the [[Council of Scientific and Industrial Research]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Recipients of S. S. Bhatnagar Award in biological sciences|url=http://www.csir.res.in/External/Utilities/Frames/career/main_page.asp?a=topframe.htm&b=leftcon.htm&c=../../../Heads/career/awards.htm|access-date=19 January 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120210163924/http://www.csir.res.in/External/Utilities/Frames/career/main_page.asp?a=topframe.htm&b=leftcon.htm&c=..%2F..%2F..%2FHeads%2Fcareer%2Fawards.htm|archive-date=10 February 2012}}</ref> In 1999, he became an honorary faculty member of the Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific
Research. In the same year, he became a fellow of the [[Indian National Science Academy]]. He became a member of the editorial board of ''[[Journal of Genetics]]'' in the year 2000 and a member of the Asia-Pacific International Molecular Biology Network in
the year 2001.<ref>{{cite web|title=Recipients of Prizes, Travelships, Scholarships (April'99-March'01) in NCBS|url=http://www.ncbs.res.in/node/54|access-date=19 January 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120113162307/http://ncbs.res.in/node/54|archive-date=13 January 2012}}</ref>

In 2003, he received the Distinguished Alumnus Award of [[IIT Kanpur]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Distinguished Alumnus Award of IIT Kanpur|url=http://www.iitk.ac.in/drpg/dis_alumnus/|access-date=19 January 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110927143709/http://www.iitk.ac.in/drpg/dis_alumnus/|archive-date=27 September 2011}}</ref>

In 2006, he was awarded the [[J. C. Bose]] Fellowship.<ref>{{cite web|title=Research Fellowships granted under the Research & Development Support (SERC) scheme during 2006–07|url=http://dst.gov.in/scientific-programme/projectlist/2006-07/basic-sciences07.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111130174350/http://dst.gov.in/scientific-programme/projectlist/2006-07/basic-sciences07.pdf|archive-date=30 November 2011}}</ref>

In 2010, he was elected fellow of [[TWAS]], the Academy of Sciences for the Developing World.<ref>{{cite web|title=News- K. VijayRaghavan elected Fellow of TWAS|url=http://www.icts.res.in/news/details/60/|date=20 October 2010|work= International Centre for Theoretical Sciences}}</ref>

In 2012, he received the [[H K Firodia awards|H. K. Firodia Award]] "for his original contributions to the field of life sciences, particularly to developmental biology, genetics and neurogenetics."<ref>{{cite news|title=H K Firodia award for scientists Ramakrishnan and Raghavan|url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-08-30/pune/33498193_1_h-k-firodia-m-s-swaminathan-trophy-and-citation|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130126112733/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-08-30/pune/33498193_1_h-k-firodia-m-s-swaminathan-trophy-and-citation|url-status=dead|archive-date=26 January 2013|work=[[The Times of India]]|date=30 August 2012}}</ref>
In the same year he became Fellow of Royal Society.

In 2013, he was conferred the Padma Shri by the President of India.<ref name="Padma Awards">{{cite web |url=http://mha.nic.in/sites/upload_files/mha/files/LST-PDAWD-2013.pdf |title=Padma Awards |publisher=Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India |date=2015 |access-date=21 July 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151015193758/http://mha.nic.in/sites/upload_files/mha/files/LST-PDAWD-2013.pdf |archive-date=15 October 2015 }}</ref>

In April 2014, he was elected<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nasonline.org/news-and-multimedia/news/april-29-2014-NAS-Election.html |title=April 29, 2014: NAS Members and Foreign Associates Elected |access-date=2016-12-31 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150818062140/http://www.nasonline.org/news-and-multimedia/news/april-29-2014-NAS-Election.html |archive-date=18 August 2015 }}</ref> a Foreign Associate of the US National Academy of Sciences.

In March 2018, he was appointed<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dbtindia.nic.in/news_management/PressreleaseDetails.asp?PressId=238&button=Edit|title=Events:: DBT – Department of Biotechnology|access-date=22 June 2018|archive-date=9 November 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131109172154/http://dbtindia.nic.in/news_management/PressreleaseDetails.asp?PressId=238&button=Edit|url-status=dead}}</ref> as [[Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India]].

In 2021 he was elected to the [[American Philosophical Society]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.amphilsoc.org/blog/american-philosophical-society-welcomes-new-members-2021|title=The American Philosophical Society Welcomes New Members for 2021}}</ref>

== External links ==
* [https://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(25)00755-9 ''Q & A: K. VijayRaghavan.''] Current Biology. Volume 35, Issue 14, p R695−R697, July 21, 2025. [[doi:10.1016/j.cub.2025.06.026]].

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

{{2000s Padma Shri Award Recipients in Science & Engineering}}
{{FRS 2012}}
{{SSBPST recipients in Biological Science}}
{{Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Laureates of Karnataka}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:VijayRaghavan, K.}}

[[Category:1954 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:IIT Kanpur alumni]]
[[Category:Indian biotechnologists]]
[[Category:Indian geneticists]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian biologists]]
[[Category:Fellows of the Royal Society]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Award in Biological Science]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Padma Shri in science & engineering]]
[[Category:Tata Institute of Fundamental Research alumni]]
[[Category:Fellows of the Indian Academy of Sciences]]
[[Category:Academic staff of the National Centre for Biological Sciences]]
[[Category:Foreign associates of the National Academy of Sciences]]
[[Category:Members of the American Philosophical Society]]

K. Vijayraghavan - Revision history

Rkrakeshboro at 22:13, 19 April 2026