Padma Shri awardee Prof Harkishan passes away

Chandigarh, March 22

Padma Shri awardee Prof Harkishan Singh from the University Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences (UIPS), Panjab University, and a noted pharmaceutical scientist and a science historian, passed away at the age of 92, said Prof Kanwaljit Chopra, chairperson, UIPS.

One of the rarest accomplishments to the credit of Prof Singh and of Panjab University per se was the discovery of a clinically useful drug Chandonium Iodide (HS-310), which was later named by World Health Organization (WHO) as Candocuronium Iodide.

With a total experience of over 40 years in teaching and research in medicinal and pharmaceutical chemistry, over 50 doctoral and master’s theses have been completed under his supervision in the research areas of heterosteroids and natural products for the pharmaceutical developments in India. His over 330 publications include 21 books, nine history monographs, six book chapters, 16 other review papers, 125 original research papers in medicinal chemistry, 65 research papers on pharmaceutical history, over 100 articles on pharmaceutical education, professional issues and other topics. — TNS