New Delhi: HL October 01, 2026
The All-India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, celebrated the 100th birthday of renowned scientist and former AIIMS faculty member Prof. G.P. Talwar, recognising his decades-long contribution to biomedical research and immunology.
The centenary celebration brought together researchers from India and abroad, former students and institutional leaders. A commemorative coffee table book documenting Prof. Talwar’s scientific achievements and carrying messages from scientists across the world was also released during the event.
Six Decades of Scientific Contribution
Dr. M. Srinivas, Member (Health), NITI Aayog, highlighted Prof. Talwar’s contribution to India’s health research ecosystem. According to the AIIMS release, Prof. Talwar returned to India after pursuing his PhD under Nobel Laureate Jacques Monod at the Institut Pasteur in France and receiving a Humboldt Fellowship in Germany, choosing to contribute to the development of scientific research in India.
Among his major contributions highlighted at the event were the development of Mycobacterium indicus pranii (MIP), described in the release as the world’s first anti-leprosy vaccine, and his pioneering work on a vaccine-based approach to family planning.
Prof. Talwar also played a key role in institution-building. He founded the Department of Biochemistry at AIIMS and was associated with the establishment of the National Institute of Immunology in Delhi and the Talwar Research Foundation. In 1969, he established the ICMR-WHO Research & Training Centre at AIIMS, helping strengthen India’s role in immunology training.
The AIIMS release also highlighted his role as a mentor to hundreds of students who later went on to lead research laboratories and biotechnology organisations around the world.
Speakers Seek Bharat Ratna for Prof. Talwar
Prof. Talwar has previously received the Padma Bhushan from the Government of India and the Officier de la Légion d’Honneur, according to the AIIMS release. Speakers at the centenary conference also said that he had been nominated for the Nobel Prize multiple times by peers in the United States and Europe and urged the Government of India to consider him for the Bharat Ratna.
The celebration was organised and funded through voluntary contributions from Prof. Talwar’s global alumni network, while the organisers also acknowledged the support of his wife, Mrs. Raksha Talwar.
