Renowned Indian geneticist and plant breeder Dr Surinder Kumar Vasal was honoured with the Padma Shri award by President Droupadi Murmu in New Delhi on Monday evening, in recognition of his groundbreaking contribution to global food security through the development of Quality Protein Maize (QPM), often called ‘miracle maize’.
Born on April 12, 1938, in Amritsar, Dr Vasal has been credited with transforming nutrition in developing nations through QPM — a nutritionally enhanced maize variety rich in essential amino acids like lysine and tryptophan, designed to combat malnutrition in maize-dependent regions. Widely adopted in countries such as China, Mexico, Central America, and parts of Africa, QPM has had a lasting impact on global food systems.
Celebrations echoed in his hometown, where his family described the honour as a “shared recognition for all Amritsaris.” His nephew, Sandeep Vasal, a textile businessman in Amritsar, said, “It’s an absolute honour for him and the family is proud of his achievements as a food scientist. Despite his work and his professional achievements, he has always been connected with Amritsar.”
Dr Vasal began his academic journey at Khalsa College, Amritsar, graduating with a B.Sc. in 1957. He went on to earn an M.Sc. from Kanpur Agricultural College and a Ph.D. in genetics and plant breeding from the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), New Delhi, in 1966.
In 1970, he joined the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre (CIMMYT) in Mexico as a post-doctoral fellow. There, in collaboration with Mexican cereal chemist Dr Evangelina Villegas, Dr Vasal co-developed QPM by integrating plant breeding and cereal chemistry techniques. Their partnership was recognised globally when they were jointly awarded the prestigious World Food Prize in 2000 — often regarded as the Nobel Prize of agriculture.
Currently residing in New Delhi’s Vasant Kunj, Dr Vasal remains active in agricultural research as an honorary scientist at the Borlaug Institute for South Asia (BISA). He is a fellow of the National Academy of Agricultural Sciences and a member of both the American Society of Agronomy and the Crop Science Society of America.
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