GN Rangaswami Ayyangar obtained his BA degree from the University of Madras. His area of specialization was agricultural science. He was in Indian Agricultural Service and was Assistant Paddy Specialist (1920-21), Millet Specialist and Principal (1921-42), Agricultural College and Research Institute, Coimbatore. He was Officer on Special Duty, Department of Agriculture, Government of India; and Professor and Head, Department of Botany, Andhra University, Waltair.

Academic and Research Achievements: Ayyangar, jointly with Parnell and Ramiah, developed the GEB 24 rice strain and studied the morphological traits of rice plants and their modes of inheritance. He made comprehensive studies on the inheritance of several characters in major and minor millets, more extensively in sorghum (jowar). He standardized morphological descriptions, evolved genetic symbols and identified linkage groups. The knowledge on sorghum genetics, Ayyangar contributed, placed sorghum breeding on a highly scientific basis.

Other Contributions: Ayyangar established the Millet Breeding Station at Coimbatore.

Awards and Honours: Ayyangar was titled Rao Bahadur (1935), and was a recipient of Coronation Medal (1937) and Paul Johannes Bruhl Medal of Asiatic Society (1941). He was a Fellow / Member of Indian Academy of Sciences, Bangalore; National Academy of Sciences (India), Allahabad; Indian Botanical Society; and Indian Society of Genetics and Plant Breeding.