Professor Rabindra Prasad Purkayastha was borne on 31st August 1935 obtained his MSc (Botany) (1958) from the University of Calcutta; PhD from University of London; and DIC (1965) from Imperial College, London. He was actively engaged in teaching and research the Department for Botany, University of Calcutta during the period from 1969-2000. He has served as Head during (1992-94) and Sir Rashbehari Ghosh Professor (1995-2000) in the Department of Botany, University of Calcutta.

Prof. Purkaystha has demonstrated the involvement of phytoalexins (PA) in differential resistance of rice, jute, broad bean and soybean cultivars to fungal diseases. He did pioneering work on the application of immunoserological technology for determining the basic compatibility factor in legume hosts and their fungal parasites and discovered that chemically induced resistance could alter antigenic pattern of host plants and accelerate phytoalexin synthesis. These findings led to the development of a new method for screening disease resistance/susceptible germplasm in vitro. He showed that different plant defense activators could trigger systemic resistance in plants by inducing different sets of defense-related proteins depending on the nature of activator and identified potent defense activators for use in plant disease management. He had also made significant contributions to mushroom science. He had published more than 200 papers, authored/edited 5 books and mentored 28 PhD students.

Professor Purkayastha served as Member of the Scientific Panel of ICAR, New Delhi (1982-85), Review Committee, UGC (1993) Programme Advisory Committee, DST (1994-97) and Technical Advisory Committee, Indian Statistical Institute, Kolkata (2002-03). He was associated with British Mycological Society (1965-90), Federation of British Plant Pathologists (1968-76), International Society for Plant Pathology (1971-78) and New York Academy of Sciences (1981-83). His visits under Bilateral Exchange of Scientists include: INSA/ Royal Society, London (1982) and INSA/ JSPS, Tokyo (1996).

Professor Purkayastha was awarded Paul Johannes Bruhl Memorial Medal by Asiatic Society (1991), Professor SN Dasgupta Memorial Lecture Award by IPS (1997) and Platinum Jubilee Lecture Award by ISCA (2001). He was elected as Fellow of the National Academy of Sciences (India), Allahabad (1995), National Academy of Agricultural Sciences, New Delhi (1996) and West Bengal Academy of Science and Technology (1989) (Foundation Fellow). He was the President of Indian Mycological Society during 1986-1990.

Prof. R.P.Purkaystha left us on 19th January 2011.

Active Research Scholars (22) of Prof. R.P.Purkayastha contributed and initially arranged his First Memorial award lecture which was delivered by Professor Anupam Varma, Division of Plant Pathology, Indian Agricultural Research Institute organized by the Department of Botany, University of North Bengal during 2017. Second Prof R.P.Purkaystha Memorial Award lecture was delivered by Professor Bishwanath Chakraborty, Department of Botany, University of North Bengal entitled “ ……” organized by the Department of Botany, University of Calcutta during ……

Subsequently Indian Mycological Society has instituted this Memorial lecture during 2022 and conducting Prof R.P.Purkaystha Memorial Award Lecture every year.

Prof. R. P. Purkayastha Memorial Award Lecture organized by IMS, Kolkata

Award Gallery