Mystry shrouds death of Subbanna Ayyappan Karnataka’s Padma Shri in mysterious circumstances
Mystry shrouds death of Subbanna Ayyappan Karnataka’s Padma Shri in mysterious circumstances
A shocking news comes to the fore of Karnataka’s Padma Shri awardee and a renowned Agricultural Scientist Subbanna Ayyappan reported missing since May 7, was found dead in Cauvery River with his scooter discovered abandoned near the Sai Ashram River Bank.
Karnataka Police have launched an investigation.
Ayyappan pioneered India’s aquaculture revolution,was honoured with Padma Shri awardee. He was the former director general of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR).
The police were notified on Saturday, May 10, after a body was spotted in the River Cauvery near Sai Ashram in Srirangapatna in Karnataka.
Dr Ayyappan, who lived in Mysuru with his wife, was reported missing on May 7. On Sunday evening, authorities were alerted after the body was identified as his. His scooter was also found abandoned on the riverbank, further deepening the mystery surrounding his death.
The Srirangapatna Police have registered a case and launched an investigation to ascertain the circumstances leading to his death.
Recognised widely as a principal architect of India’s ‘Blue Revolution’, Dr Ayyappan created new and better ways to farm fish that transformed how all of India raises and catches fish. His work uplifted rural livelihoods, bolstered food systems and increased productivity across both coastal and inland regions. In recognition of these far-reaching contributions, he was conferred the Padma Shri in 2022.
Born on December 10, 1955, in Yelandur, Chamarajanagar district in Karnataka, Ayyappan began his distinguished career after completing a Bachelor of Fisheries Science (BFSc) in 1975 and a Master of Fisheries Science (MFSc) in 1977 from Mangaluru. He later earned a PhD in 1998 from the University of Agricultural Sciences, Bengaluru.
advertisement
Spanning several decades, Dr Ayyappan’s career in aquaculture and sustainable agriculture was marked by numerous leadership roles. He served as director of the Central Institute of Freshwater Aquaculture (CIFA) in Bhubaneswar and of the Central Institute of Fisheries Education (CIFE) in Mumbai. He was also the founding chief executive of the National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB) in Hyderabad and later held the position of Secretary in the Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE), Government of India.
In his later years, he chaired the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) and served as Vice-Chancellor of the Central Agricultural University (CAU) in Imphal.
Dr Ayyappan is survived by his wife and two daughters.
News Edit KV Raman
