Annakkili Amma Research Institute (AARI)

M.S. Balakrishnan (1917-1990) (Courtesy: B.B.Chaugule: in Seaweed Research and Utilization 13(1), July 1990) Prof. Balakrishnan was born on 10th February 1917 at Madras. His parents were both active in the struggle for national freedom. His father gave up a good position in Government service to join the civil disobedience movement. His mother was an austere person, a Gandhian, and an eminent writer in Tamil. Prof. Balakrishnan had his education in Madras and took his B.Sc. (Hons.) degree in Botany from Presidency College, Madras. He later joined the University Botany Laboratory, Chepauk, Madras to work for his M.Sc. degree under the guidance of the late Prof. M.O.P.Iyengar, Father of Indian Algology. After taking his M.Sc. degree, he joined the Department of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India as a sub-editor. Soon the academically bent Prof. Balakrishnan left this job and took up a Research Fellowship at the Agricultural College and Research Institute, Coimbatore. Afte...