Prof. Prem Narain
has been selected for the second National Award in Statistics
for the year 2001-2002 for his outstanding contribution in the
field of statistics. Instituted by the Ministry of Statistics
& Programme Implementation in memory of Prof. P.V. Sukhatme,
the award is given to senior statisticians in alternate years.
Former Director of
Indian Agricultural Statistics Research Institute, Prof. Narain’s
original research in statistical genetics and application of statistics
in crop and animal sciences was highly praised by the scientific
community. He developed a new concept of average time taken for
the fixation of a gene in finite populations, which found useful
application in animal breeding and evolution. He also introduced
the method of conditioned diffusion equations, parallel to famous
Fokker-Planck equations used in physics, in relation to population
genetic problems.
The book written
by Prof. Narain on Statistical Genetics is one of its kinds and
is used as a text-book as well as extensively referred to by advanced
research workers in both Indian as well as foreign universities.
It explains the principles of population and quantitative genetics
He has made significant contribution in mathematics of genetic
diversity and statistical genomics also.
Prof. Narain made
efforts to find application of computers in the field of agriculture.
He was the first to develop a blueprint of KRISHINET – a nation-wide
agricultural research and education information system, which
found a place in Limca Book Of Records. He was also instrumental
in developing efficient statistical techniques for the analysis
of sample survey data and early warning system based on crop forecasting
and remote sensing technology. He developed a manual on ‘Training
Programs in Food and Agricultural Statistics’ and reviewed the
program on the ‘Organisation of Agricultural Pilot Census in China’.
He was a member of
the National Statistical Commission, an apex body constituted
in January 2000 to revamp the Indian Statistical System. He has
over 250 research papers/reports - some of them being repeatedly
referred to in journals and text books, seven books, and ten book
chapters to his credit and received several awards, prizes and
medals including Rafi Ahmed Kidwai Memorial Prize in 1977 by the
India Council of Agricultural Research.
