Four Indian Students Won Monsanto Beachell-Borlaug International Scholarships

Good news came rushing to India, when four young Indian agricultural students were awarded the very prestigious Monsanto Beachell-Borlaug International Scholars Program (MBBISP) Research Fellowships 2012 for encouraging new plant breeding research for rice and wheat production among young scientists.

Following are the details of the four Indian winners, Amandeep Kaur from Punjab University, Navdeep S Jamwal from CSK Himachal Pradesh Agriculture University, Bharathi R. Ramadoss from Tamil Nadu University, and Bharath Reddy from Texas A&M University.

Amandeep Kaur’s rice research is precisely aimed on stabilizing rice bran oil to avoid rancidity of oil at Punjab Ag University in collaboration with the University of Maine, USA.

On the other hand, Navdeep Jamval’s wheat research is focused on improving drought tolerance and rust resistance in wheat at CSK Himachal Pradesh Ag University in collaboration with the University of Leicester, UK.

Bharathi Ramadoss’s rice research is focused on optimal glycemic index in rice at Tamil Nadu Ag University in collaboration with the University of Saskatchewan, Canada.

And lastly, Bharath Reddy’s wheat research is focused on enhancing yield potential of hard red winter wheat at Texas A&M University, USA in collaboration with CIMMYT, Mexico and Turkey.

The scholarship includes a a generous stipend, tuition and fees, research fees, health insurance, travel and funds for the collaborating institution, and advising professor.

Applications for 2013 are to remain open till 1 February 2013. Students can find more details at -www.monsanto.com/mbbischolars.