The CAS in Functional
Genomics, School of Biological Sciences, Madurai Kamaraj University, had a
humble origin in the early 60’s as the postgraduate extension centre of the
Zoology department of the Madras University at Madurai. The man in command was Prof. S.
Krishnaswamy, popularly known as SK.
Had it been anybody else, perhaps a very good Zoology department would
have come up in Madurai. But SK was an
extraordinary man. He was a dreamer and
a visionary. At a time, perhaps even
now, when the teaching of life sciences was compartmentalized into Botany,
Zoology, Microbiology etc., he conceived the idea of teaching Biology as an
integrated discipline. For him Botany,
Zoology etc., was nothing more than different ways of looking at the same
thing, namely, the living state. He
felt that the totality of the living state was more important than studying
animals or plants in isolation. When
the PG extension centre became the Madurai (later Madurai Kamaraj) University
in 1966, SK founded the Department of Biological Sciences, the first integrated
department in the country. His example
was followed by many other institutions subsequently. SK was a man who realized that the strength and growth potential
of a nascent department depends upon the quality of the early batches of
recruits; once a thrust and momentum for growth were provided, other things
will follow automatically. Therefore he
almost handpicked faculty to represent diverse sub-disciplines of biology. Many of them were appointed without formal
advertisements, interviews and other mundane rigmarole, simply by invitation,
something unthinkable nowadays. Just a
decade later, the Department of Biological Sciences was elevated to a School of
Biological Science on the recommendation of an UGC Expert Committee. Recognition followed one after another:
COSIP, DRS, COSIST, DSA (Phase I, II
and III) and finally the CAS in Functional Genomics in 2000-2001.
The
academic achievements of the Madurai Kamaraj University, School of Biological
Sciences are too well known. Perhaps it
is the only School among the State-funded Universities to have produced four
Bhatnagar Awardees, more than half a dozen Fellows of Academies, a National
Professor and four Vice Chancellors!
Its faculty serve as members in many funding and policy making bodies at
the State and National levels, editorial boards of journals etc. The students graduating from the School are
much sought after in educational and research institutions at home and abroad
as well as industry. In fact the “MKU
stamp” gives them a certificate of credibility and a competitive edge.
A brief statistics of the School is as follows:
Faculty strength:
Emeritus Professor 1
National Professor
ICAR 1
INSA Honorary
Scientist 1
INSA Senior
Scientist 1
Senior Professors 4
Professors 4
Readers 6
DST Young
Scientists 4
Research Associates
4
Courses offered:
M.Sc. Biochemical
Technology 21 students
P.G. Diploma in
Medicinal Plants 10 students
Ph.D 56 students
Total No. of
Research Projects 26
Total Funding 4.1 crores
The School’s moment of
crowning glory came in 2000-2001 when it was elevated to the status of Centre
for Advanced Study (CAS) in Functional Genomics. It has given the faculty and students a great impetus to perform
better and excel their own past read.
With generous support from several funding agencies, team of committed
teachers and students and a helpful university administration the School is
confident that they will prevail.