From Our Correspondent
NONGPOH, Dec 22: In a moment of pride for the academic and scientific fraternity of the Northeast, Dr Yugal Kishore Mohanta, Assistant Professor in the Department of Applied Biology, University of Science and Technology Meghalaya (USTM), has been awarded the ‘Young Scientist Award–2025’ by the Society for Plant Research (VEGETOS), an internationally reputed scientific body associated with the Springer Nature Group.
The award recognises Dr Mohanta’s outstanding and pioneering contributions in the domains of phytochemicals and medicinal plant research—fields that play a crucial role in modern drug discovery, sustainable healthcare and bioresource-based innovation.
Dr Mohanta’s research focuses on decoding the complex chemical architecture of indigenous and underexplored plant species, with the objective of scientifically validating traditional botanical knowledge and translating it into contemporary pharmacological applications.
Adding to this remarkable achievement, Dr Mohanta has also been listed among the World’s Top 2% Most Influential Scientists (2025), as identified by Stanford University and published by Elsevier (Scopus). This distinction underscores his growing global impact in the scientific community.
It may be mentioned that the Society for Plant Research (VEGETOS) selects awardees through a rigorous international peer-review process that evaluates academic excellence, originality of research, publication quality and societal relevance.
Congratulating him on the achievement, the USTM administration and faculty members lauded Dr Mohanta’s dedication and scholarly excellence, noting that his success significantly enhances the university’s international research visibility and reinforces its commitment to cutting-edge scientific inquiry.
Meanwhile, expressing his gratitude, Dr Mohanta said, “This recognition is not merely a personal milestone, but a reaffirmation of the immense scientific value hidden within our natural biodiversity. It motivates me to continue bridging traditional knowledge with modern science, so that nature itself becomes a cornerstone of future healthcare solutions.”
