Chintaman Govind Pandit completed his PhD (1922) from University of London, UK. He worked as Director, King Institute of Preventive Medicine, Chennai (1938-48); Director-General, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) (1948-64); and later CSIR Emeritus Scientist.

Academic and Research Achievements: Working in the areas communicable diseases and virology, Pandit contributed to our knowledge of the epidemiology of the plague in South India. He also carried out epidemiological studies on cholera and filariasis and demonstrated the protective influence of Vitamin C in experimental fluorosis. He was, in fact, the first to draw attention to the existence of widespread skeletal fluorosis in the country. He also attempted transmission of leprosy infection to monkeys.

Awards and Honours: Dr Pandit was conferred the Minto Gold Medal OBE (Order of the British Empire) Award (1956); Padma Shri (1956); and Padma Bhushan (1964). He was elected President of the Medical and Veterinary Sciences Section, Indian Science Congress (1991) and was Foundation Fellow of the National Academy of Medical Sciences (India), Allahabad.