Dinabandhu Sahoo
Dinabandhu Sahoo | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Known for | Seaweed cultivation research, Carbon Garden project, Cherry Blossom Festival (Shillong) |
| Awards | Top Sustainability Laureate Award (2023), Distinguished Leadership Honour (2026) |
| Honors | D.Sc. (Honoris Causa), FNASc, FNAAS, FBRS |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Botany, marine biology, sustainable development |
| Workplaces | University of Delhi |
Dinabandhu Sahoo is an Indian botanist and academic administrator. He is Chairperson of the Research, Innovation and Entrepreneurship Council and Head of the Department of Botany at the University of Delhi. His work has focused on marine bioresources, seaweed cultivation, and sustainable development, and he is credited with organizing the first Cherry Blossom Festival in Shillong in 2016.[1][2]
He is an elected fellow of the National Academy of Sciences, India (FNASc) and the National Academy of Agricultural Sciences (FNAAS).[1]
Early life
According to his department biography, Sahoo took part in the 7th Indian Scientific Expedition to Antarctica in 1987.[1][2] The same source states he later undertook two scientific expeditions to the Arctic.[1]
Career
Sahoo's positions have included:
- Head, Department of Botany, University of Delhi
- Chairperson, Research, Innovation and Entrepreneurship Council, University of Delhi
- Director, Institute of Bioresources and Sustainable Development (IBSD), Department of Biotechnology, Government of India (2014–2019)[3]
- Vice Chancellor, Fakir Mohan University, Odisha
He has also served as scientific adviser to the Chief Minister of Meghalaya (2019–2024) and as an adviser on higher education and climate change to the Government of Manipur.[1]
Cherry Blossom Festival
Sahoo organized India's first Cherry Blossom Festival in Shillong in 2016.[1][2] Local press coverage attributes to the initiative the planting of an estimated 60,000 cherry blossom trees across northeastern states, alongside stated aims of ecological restoration and tourism development.[3][2] He has been referred to in some Indian media as the "Cherry Blossom Man of India."[2]
Carbon Garden
Sahoo developed a project described as India's "first Carbon Garden" at the University of Delhi, a roughly 2,000-square-foot planting of 45–50 perennial species intended to demonstrate small-scale urban air and soil remediation.[4][5] News coverage describes the garden as relying on plant-surface microorganisms to break down pollutants such as methane and carbon monoxide, though the extent of independent scientific validation of these claims is unclear from the cited sources.[4][5]
Publications and awards
Sahoo is credited with authoring 13 books and multiple research papers in botany and sustainability.[1] He holds an honorary Doctor of Science (D.Sc.).[1]
Reported awards include:
- Top Sustainability Laureate Award, India Green Awards (2023)[3]
- Distinguished Leadership Honour, Times Foundation (2026)[2]
Eponyms
Two plant species discovered by other researchers have been named in Sahoo's honour:
- Prunus dinabandhuana, a cherry species from Manipur described in 2022, phylogenetically placed in the Laurocerasus clade based on ITS molecular data.[6]
- Caulokaempferia dinabandhuensis, a ginger-family species from the Ukhrul district of Manipur, described in 2017.[7]
- Papilionanda Dinabandhu Sahoo[1], a hybrid genus orchid in the United Kingdom
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "Professor Dinabandhu Sahoo - A Glimpse" (PDF). Department of Botany, University of Delhi.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Cherry blossom founder Deenbandhu Sahu honoured with Times Foundation's distinguished leadership honour". Janta Serishta. 2026.
- 1 2 3 "Professor Dinabandhu Sahoo from University of Delhi also known as the founder of Cherry Blossom receives Top Sustainability Laureate Award". The Sangai Express. 16 January 2024.
- 1 2 "India's first Carbon Garden built at DU: How it cleans air and restores soil". India Today. 11 February 2026.
- 1 2 "DU's Carbon Garden offers new weapon against toxic air". The Times of India. 25 March 2026.
- ↑ Mekrini, Jennifer N.; Thongam, Biseshwori (31 March 2022). "Prunus dinabandhuana (Rosaceae), a New Species from Manipur, India". Annales Botanici Fennici. 59 (1): 105–109. doi:10.5735/085.059.0116.
- ↑ Thongam, Biseshwori; Konsam, B. (2017). "Caulokaempferia dinabandhuensis: A new species of Caulokaempferia (Zingiberaceae) from Manipur, India". Journal of Japanese Botany. 92 (2): 82–86.