This is the story of an unsung hero who dedicated his whole life to agriculture, became the first Director General of ICAR, won awards and contributed significantly to its development. Meet Benjamin Peary Pal, a person who faced challenges, but didn’t give up and came up with great ideas, and made a real difference.
This man only had one true love: plants. While others were enchanted by the beauty of a flower, Pal was more interested in its science.
Benjamin Peary Pal was born in Mukundpur, Punjab, on May 26, 1906. Despite his father being a doctor, Pal loved gardening. When his father asked him to look after the garden, Pal not only cared for the plants but also improved them by reading gardening books, and day by day plants became his lifelong friends.
Benjamin Peary Pal completed his Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees at Rangoon University, with a study on Burmese Charophyta for his master’s.
In 1929, he went to University of Cambridge for wheat research, returning with a Ph.D. in 1934 under Rowland Biffen and later Frank Engledow, studying hybrid vigor in wheat.
He then joined the Indian Agricultural Research Institute in 1933. Back then, crop diseases were a significant issue, and Pal aimed to develop wheat varieties resistant to rust, a prevalent disease. His work was crucial for Indian agriculture before independence.
Benjamin Peary Pal developed the NP (New Pusa) 700 and NP 800 series, which could combat a particular type of rust. But the real breakthrough came only in 1954 when he developed the NP 809 after 18 years of painstaking research. This variety of wheat can combat all three types of rust and it was a big step forward in increasing wheat production.
In 1965, he became the Director General of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, playing a key role in the country’s agricultural progress. His research and plans were crucial for the Green Revolution.
Benjamin Peary Pal was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS) in 1972. For his contributions, he received awards like the Rafi Ahmed Kidwai Prize and the S. Ramanujan Medal.
All his property was granted to the Indian Council of Agricultural Research as per his own wish.
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