THE FIRST TEST TUBE BABY OF INDIA
It has been an auspicious day of Durga Pooja on 3rd October, 1978, when the first test tube baby i.e. through in-vitro fertilization was born. The baby was later on named Durga!
This is a story of the legend Dr.Subhas Mukopadhayay, the unhonored hero, whose efforts have been tainted as fraudulent by the Indian bureaucrats.
He along with two of his colleagues, Dr. S.K Bhattacharya (gynecologist) and Prof. Sunit Mukherjee (cryobiologist), in a small room with smattering equipments helped an Agarwal family to have a baby through in-vitro fertilization. This has been the latest budding technology then. Finally, due to his persistence and determination, he was successful in his attempt and Durga was born 67 days after the first test tube baby Louis Brown of England.
In order to receive accreditation and reorganization, he planned to openly announce about it during the International Conference, which was to be held in Japan. Ironically, the Indian Government charged him of deception and an expert committee was formed to look into the matter. They did not believe him to form a zygote from a small refrigerator into a flask, as they were oblivious of his researches. Thus, he was mocked and distressed; Dr. Subhas Mukhopadhayay committed suicide in 1981. It was in 1986, that Dr. T.Anand Kumar penned down of his work and thus, hailed him the deserved laurel.
Dr. Subhas Mukhopadhayay had two Doctorate degrees, one in Reproductive physiology from the University of Calcutta and the other from Edinburgh in Reproductive Endocrinology.
It was in 2010 that Robert G Edwards was awarded with the Nobel Prize for Medicine for his pioneering and undeterred efforts in the IVF, which thus, led to the birth of the first test tube baby of the world, Louis Brown, England.
It has been the ignorance of the understanding of the Indian Bureaucrats, that we have lost one true talent, who could have really done wonders till date. Hence, before judging the other, one must first look upon themselves and must always be a good listener and lastly, do not undermine anyone’s talent as miracles can be done by anyone!
Today, Ms. Durga aka Anupriya Agarwal is still alive who has done her MBA from symbiosis Pune and is presently working in New Delhi. Thanks to Dr. T Anand kumar, for highlighting Dr. Subhas’s efforts and thus, bringing him what he actually deserved.
