Eminent geneticist Dr. K. Thangaraj has been conferred with the Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar 2025 under the Vigyan Shri category by the Central Government, in recognition of his exceptional and long-standing contributions to the field of biological sciences. A senior scientist at the CSIR–Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Hyderabad, Dr. Thangaraj has dedicated more than three decades to pioneering research in population genetics and medical genomics.
His groundbreaking studies have reshaped the understanding of human evolution and population history. He was among the first to demonstrate that the indigenous tribes of the Andaman Islands represent the earliest modern human migration out of Africa, dating back approximately 65,000 years. Another key discovery from his work revealed that endogamy, or marriage within specific communities, has been a longstanding social practice in India for nearly 2,000 years, resulting in population-specific recessive genetic disorders.
Currently, Dr. Thangaraj is focused on mapping genetic variations associated with such diseases and developing genetic counselling strategies to mitigate their occurrence in future generations. He also heads two major national scientific initiatives — GenomeIndia, which aims to create a comprehensive genetic map of the Indian population, and the Paediatric Rare Genetic Diseases Mission, which focuses on early diagnosis and management of inherited disorders in children.
Over his illustrious career, Dr. Thangaraj has received several distinguished honours, including the CSIR-Bhatnagar Fellowship and the JC Bose Fellowship, reflecting his lasting impact on genetic research and public health in India.
