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14 PIONEERING A NEW FUTURE
Agharkar Research Institute
Above: A plaque announcing the renaming of the institute; A fossil from the Cauvery Basin
Maharashtra Association for the Cultivation of Science (MACS) was established on 1 October 1946. In the early days, MACS attracted senior
and retiring scientists who made significant contributions to different areas of life sciences. The Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India, adopted the institute in 1966 as a fully funded autonomous institute. MACS renamed the research institute in 1992
as ‘Agharkar Research Institute’ (ARI)
in honour and memory of its Founder
Director, Prof. SP Agharkar.
AREAS OF RESEARCH
Biodiversity & Palaeobiology: Since
the institute’s inception, documenting biodiversity has been one of the key research areas. Prof. Agharkar’s documentation of the region’s
floral diversity for gazetteers was a significant contribution. Subsequently, Prof. MN Kamat’s work on diversity and taxonomy of lichens brought global recognition to ARI as an important centre
for lichens research. Additionally, extensive work on the fossil plants from the Deccan inter-trappean beds and Jurassic plants by Prof. TS Mahabale stand out as an essential contribution in India’s fossil plants, Palms. This group also contributed immensely to understanding the 'Sacred Groves' socio-ecological aspects and pioneered it for the entire country.
Currently, Biodiversity & Palaeobiology group explores the biodiversity of archaea, bacteria, diatoms, fungi, lichens, plants, viruses, and fossils with a vision to explore variations occurring at the level of ecosystems, species, and genes. Under the microbes, the institute studies methanotrophs from natural and human-
made environments, emphasizing climate change mitigation. Its studies on fungi aim to understand the agriculturally important fungi and yeasts
with bioenergy potential. Based on classical and molecular approaches, the institute's discoveries on plants and diatoms contribute to understanding the phylogenetic relations of various groups of
A MAN WITH A VISION | Prof. Shankar Purushottam Agharkar Prof. Shankar Purushottam Agharkar was one of the distinguished founder-members who led the MACS as its Founder Director from 1946-60. Prof. Agharkar (18 November 1884 to
2 September 1960), a botanist, obtained his PhD degree from the University of Berlin, Germany. He was the Professor in Botany at the University of Calcutta, President of
Botanical Society of Bengal (1940-1945), and Secretary of Asiatic Society (1943- 1945). He held honorary positions in several other scientific bodies as well.