Kartar Singh Thind did his PhD (1948) from University of Wisconsin, USA. He served as Reader (1956-62), Professor (1962-80) and Head (1977); Principal Investigator, DST Project on Mycoflora of the Eastern Himalaya, all at Department of Botany, Panjab University, Chandigarh.

Academic and Research Achievements:Having deep interest in mycology and plant pathology, Thind made pioneering contributions to the exploration of mycoflora of the Himalayas, and advanced our knowledge of specific groups of fungi (Myxomycetes, Discomycetes, Pyrenomycetes, Aphyllophorales and Gasteromycetes) in India and the Himalayas. He added a large number of new taxa to the literature of fungi and worked out the nutrient requirements of many pathogenic fungi.

Other Contributions:Thind built up a mycology herbarium at Panjab University. He published two monographs: The Clavariceae of India (1961) and The Myxomycetes of India (1977), both by ICAR. Thind served as Member of the Mycological Society of America, British Mycological Society, Botanical Society of America; and Executive Member, International Mycological Association.

Awards and Honours:Professor Thind was conferred Institutional Gold Medal by Khalsa College, Amritsar (1969); Panchanan Maheshwari Gold Medal by Indian Botanical Society (1978); Professor TS Sadasivan Endowment Lecture Award by INSA (1982); and UGC National Lecturer Award (1982). He was elected Fellow of the Indian Academy of Sciences, Bangalore, and National Academy of Sciences (India), Allahabad; President, Indian Phytopathological Society (1972), Indian Botanical Society (1973), Indian Mycological Society, Society for the Development of Asiatic Tropical Mycology, and Botany Section of the Indian Science Congress (1975).