Subbanna Ayyappan, Padma Shri awardee and scientist, found dead in Cauvery river near Karnataka ashram

Renowned agricultural scientist and Padma Shri awardee Dr. Subbanna Ayyappan 70 was found dead in the Cauvery river near Sai Ashram in Srirangapatna, Karnataka, police said on Monday. He was 70.

Ayyappan was living with his wife in Vishweshwara Nagar industrial area of ​​Mysuru. Ayyappan had gone missing from residence home on May 7, Mandya police was quoted by news agency ANI as saying.

After three days, when he didn't return, the family lodged a complaint at the Vidyaranapuram police station in Mysore.

Srirangapatna police registered a case and started an investigation to probe reason behind his death.

Accoridng to news agency PTI, preliminary enquiry said that he might have jumped in to the river, yet police said proper investigation can only reveal the cause of the death.

As per reports, police received information about an unidentified body being found in the river on Saturday evening (May 10).

When police reached the spot and retrieved the body from the river, the scientist's identity was discovered.

“Ayyappan's scooter was found on the riverbank,” Mandya police said on Monday, May 13.

Who is Subbanna Ayyappan?

Subbanna Ayyappan was a former Director General of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research. A well-known scientist, Ayyappan was renowned for his contributions to India's Blue Revolution and was the first non-crop scientist to head ICAR.

In 2022, the then President Ram Nath Kovind presented Padma Shri to Dr Subbanna Ayyappan for Science and Engineering. “Dr Ayyappan made exemplary research contributions in the areas of aquaculture and aquatic microbiology,” the President said in a post on X.

Ayyappan completed his Bachelors and Masters degrees in Fisheries and held several top positions nationally.

Instrumental in promoting India's Blue Revolution, the Padma Shri awardee helped in boosting the country's agriculture, after which his contributions were recgonised by the government in 2022.

Subbanna Ayyappan is survived by his wife and two daughters.