13 Facts About Sukh Dev

Sukh Dev conducted advanced research in biomedical science and natural products chemistry and held 55 patents for his findings.

Sukh Dev was born on 17 June 1923 at Chakwal, in the Punjab province of British India to Hari Chand Lala and Maya Vanti.

Sukh Dev graduated with honours from Dayanand Anglo Vedic College, Lahore of the Punjab University in 1943 and secured his master's degree from the same institution in 1945.

Sukh Dev then joined the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore as a research associate.

Sukh Dev conducted research on terpenoids and contributed to the structural elucidation of a number of them.

Sukh Dev focused a part of his research on lac, turpentine, Cedrus deodara and Indian medicinal plants such as Guggulu, Commiphora wightii, the last of which has resulted in the development of Guggulsterone, a steroid claimed to have cholesterol-lowering and nutrient properties.

Sukh Dev's research earned him 55 patents and the body of his work has been documented in over 290 scientific articles.

Sukh Dev published 10 books, including Prime Ayurvedic Plant Drugs, a 2006 publication which explores the ancient and modern traditions of Ayurveda.

Sukh Dev mentored 92 research scholars, which included many notable scientists.

Sukh Dev received the Sudborough Medal of the Indian Institute of Science in 1949 when he was working at the institution as a research associate but the first major award came his way in 1964 when the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research awarded him Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize, the highest Indian honour in the science and technology categories.

Sukh Dev received two awards from the Indian National Science Academy in the 1980s, Professor T R Seshadri Seventieth Birthday Commemoration Medal in 1981 and Meghnad Saha Medal in 1987.

Sukh Dev, who held the INSA S N Bose Research Professorship of the Indian Institute of Technology, New Delhi from 1988 to 1993, received the TWAS Prize in 1988 and the Srinivasan Ramanujan Birth Centenary Award of the Indian Science Congress Association in 1992.

Sukh Dev was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award by two Indian chemical societies, the Indian Chemical Society in 1999 and the Chemical Research Society of India in 2000.