Dr Sisir Kumar Bose, the first editor of Indian Pediatrics (1964-1966) was a multifaceted personality. Son of Sarat Chandra Bose and Bivabati Bose, Sisir Kumar Bose played a gallant and crucial role in Indian freedom Movement. In January 1941 he assisted his uncle Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose in planning and executing the great escape. Sisir drove Netaji from Calcutta to Gomoh from where Netaji took the train to Delhi and Peshawar. As a student leader Sisir participated in Quit India Movement of 1942 during which he was severely wounded in a police attack and imprisoned in Presidency Jail. While he was home interned in 1943, he was contacted by Netaji’s agents who had landed in India by submarine and became the co-ordinator of Netaji’s revolutionary underground force. Sisir Kumar Bose was held in solitary confinement in the Red Fort and the Lahore Fort in 1944 and 1945 for assisting Subhas Chandra Bose and kept as a prisoner in the Lyallpur Jail until after the end of Second World War.

After his release from prison Sisir Kumar Bose completed his medical studies in Calcutta, received advance training in Pediatrics in London and Vienna and finally as a Rockefeller Fellow at the Harvard Medical School and the Children’s Hospital in Boston. After his return to India he quickly rose to the top of his profession and is widely recognized as one of the leading pediatricians of post-independence India. He was Director of the Institute of Child Health for twenty years and then President of its Trust. As the first Editor of the Indian Pediatrics, Dr Bose expressed the hope that the journal will be an instrument of harmonious development of the pediatric fraternity of India and achieved its mission.

Sisir Kumar Bose founded the Netaji Research Bureau in 1957, which has now grown up to be a renowned institute of history, politics and international relations. He was guided organized research on Netaji for four decades and has authored and edited nearly 40 titles including biographics, memoirs, monographs of Netaji Essential Writings released in Netaji centenary year and Netaji’s collected works in 10 volumes. His concise biography of Netaji has been published already in 10 Indian languages by the National Book trust, India and 6 additional language editions are in preparation.

Write-up–Courtesy: Prof Apurba Ghosh, Director, Institute of Child Health (ICH), Kolkata. ICH has instituted the ‘Sisir Kumar Bose Oration’ which was awarded recently to the present Editor-in-Chief, Piyush Gupta… who dedicated this honor to the great man himself only…. ‘‘A sapling planted 50 years back is now reaping fruits of knowledge for benefit of 20,000 plus members of the Academy, month after month’’.

Dr Nani Gopal Mojumdar (1912-1999) graduated from Medical College, Kolkata and did his DCH from London. He served Chittaranjan Shishu Sadan and retired after serving Calcutta National Medical College as Head, Department of Pediatric Medicine.

His contributions include, apart from being teacher to a large number of students, bimonthly publication of ‘Archives of Child Health’ from Kolkata. It was abandoned in early eightees, due to his old age and lack of support.

He was associated with Boys’ Scout moment (personally congratulated by Lord Baden Powell for his successes) and wrote Children literature. Dr Majumdar’s proximity with the scout moment led him to write ‘Bahadur’ serialized in ‘Sandesh’ edited by Satyajit Ray. In the thirtees his humorous tale of an ant ‘Tenshuram Denye’ and the new type of adventure composition ‘Ratnanesha’ proved extremely popular. He regularly contributed in ‘Sandesh’ edited by Satyajit Ray. In the thirtees his humorous tale of an ant ‘Tenshuram Denye’ and the new type of adventure composition ‘Ratnanesha’ proved extremely popular. He regularly contributed in ‘Sandesh’ and ‘Jatin’ (a scout magazine). In his last days he was editing a voluminious children word encyclopedia – ‘Shabda Bharati’ which lies incomplete.

Write-up–Courtesy: Dr Jaydeep Choudhury and Dr Amitava Sen, Kolkata. This write up was published in state NNF journal 1999 after his death and was penned by Prof Atul Kumar Gupta, Head, Dept of Pediatrics, Ramakrishna Mission Seva Pratishthan & Vivekananda Institute of Medical Sciences, Kolkata.

Dr Taneja served as Editor of Indian Pediatrics from 1970-1972. He was born in Punjab, obtained his MBBS from King Edward Medical College (KEMCOL), Lahore in 1941, and completed his MD in Medicine with Pediatrics as a special subject in 1944 from the same Institute. He followed it up with MRCP and DCH from London in 1946. He joined the Balak Ram Medical College, Lahore in 1946 where he was in charge of the Pediatric wing. In 1948, he was selected as Professor of Medicine, Pharmacology and Radiology at Dibrugarh Medical College, Assam where he established a Department of Medicine. In 1952 he became the Head of the Pediatric Services at the Irwin Hospital (now Maulana Azad Medical College), New Delhi. In 1958 he was selected as a Rockefeller Fellow to train at Children’s Hospital, Boston, U.S.A. prior to taking the chair as Professor of Pediatrics at the newly established All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS). Between 1962-68, he held the position of Head of Department of Pediatrics at Maulana Azad Medical College, New Delhi.

He was one of the founding members of the Indian Academy of Pediatrics. He was elected as President, IAP in 1967. He has left behind glowing traditions and values for his successors and students to emulate.

Dr Ghai was the Editor of the Indian Pediatrics from 1973-1975. He joined the Government Lahore Medical College for MBBS course, but had to shift to the Government Medical College Amritsar in the wake of partition after independence. He obtained DCH from Bombay University (1953) and MD (Pediatrics) from Medical College Indore in 1958 under the mentorship of the legendary Professor JN Pohowala who influenced him immensely. Professor Ghai started the Department of Pediatrics at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Delhi in 1959 with just 6 beds for children. Prof. Ghai remained the head of the Department of Pediatrics at AIIMS for over 25 years (1962-89). He excelled as a keen researcher, especially in the areas of childhood diarrhea, micronutrients and Indian childhood cirrhosis. As a teacher and role model, he inspired an entire generation of pediatricians in the country. A vast majority of MBBS and nursing students, the budding doctors and nurses in the country, receive fundamental lessons in child health from his famous textbook, ‘Essential Pediatrics.’ Prof Ghai was a recipient of numerous honors including the fellowships of the Indian Academy of Pediatrics, International College of Pediatrics, and the National Academy of Medical Sciences, Kamla Menon award for research in diarrheal disease, and BC Roy Award. He also received the ‘Insignia of Merit’ mediallion of the International Pediatric Association.

He was the National President of Indian Academy of Pediatrics in 1978.

Dr Satya Gupta has been the lone woman editor of Indian Pediatrics, serving from 1976-March 1980. She started her career in 1960 in Pondicherry as Reader and Head of Pediatrics at JIPMER. She built the department and brought to international level. After serving the community for 7 years, Dr Satya Gupta joined Maulana Azad Medical College, New Delhi in 1967 and stayed there till her retirement as Professor and Head of the Department of Pediatrics, in 1981.

Besides teaching, research and patient care, Dr Satya Gupta has been the Visiting Professor and examiner to almost all the prestigious universities across the country. She has rendered her services as an Expert and Advisor to various national and international agencies including WHO, UNICEF, ICMR, MCI, and UPSC. She was appointed as the foreign student advisor and advisor for mentally retarded children by Government of India.

Dr Satya Gupta was the President of IAP in 1980. She has been awarded prestigious fellowships of American Academy of Pediatrics, National Academy of Medical Sciences, and Indian Academy of Pediatrics. Her name has been included in ‘Who is Who’ in India, Asia and America. She is a prolific writer and has edited many books namely: Text-book of Pediatrics, Child Health Questions, Atlas of Pediatrics, and Social Pediatrics. She has served as Coordinator for ICDS and invited to give many orations.

Dr Bhargava served as the Editor of Indian Pediatrics between 1980-1984. He has also had the distinction of having held the office of the National President of Indian Academy of Pediatrics (IAP); Founder President National Neonatology Forum (NNF), India; Professor and Head, Department of Pediatrics, University College of Medical Sciences and Safdarjang Hospital, New Delhi; Vice President, National Institute of Public Cooperation and Child Development, New Delhi; and Treasurer International Conference of Pediatrics. He has been a member of several prestigious advisory, including National Children Board, WHO; Ministry of Health and Family Welfare; Department of Women and Child Development, Ministry of Human Resources; Planning Commission, Government of India; and Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).

Dr Bhargava has received over 18 Research grants from National and International Organizations including ICMR, Department of Biotechnology, Government of India, National Centre for Health Statistics, Bill Gates Foundation and Stanford University USA, British Hearth Foundation and Wellcome Trust, MRC Southampton, UK; Auckland University, New Zealand and others. He has published over 175 research papers in National and International Journals. His research focused on several child health and neonatal issues and problems but his major contributions included delivery of newborn care, Low Birth Weight body growth and body composition and adult health outcome. His current interest is Cohort research and he is founder of New Delhi Birth Cohort with Dr Shanti Ghosh and late Dr I.M. Moriyama.

Dr Bhargava has received Dr Shanti Lal C Sheth Oration, Dr ST Achar Gold Medal, and James Flett Endowment Award of IAP; Silver Jubilee Research Award, Medical Council of India, Dr SS Mishra Gold Medal, NAMS; Shakuntala Devi Amir Chand, Dr. Kamla Menon and Amrut Mody Unichem Prize of ICMR; NNF Award Oration, IMA, DMA, and other state organizations. The British Paediatric Association, Nepalese Congress of Pediatrics and VIII Asian Congress of Pediatrics awarded him the outstanding Pediatrician from India Award.

His unique and singular contributions remain in Neonatology. He pioneered both intensive and primary care at hospital and in community. His commitment and perseverance are the main reasons for acceptance of "Essential Newborn Care" as national program, which he had conceptualized and operationalized for government of India, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

Dr Srivastava was Editor of Indian Pediatrics from 1985-February 1990. He is a medical graduate of KG Medical College Lucknow (1959). He had training in Pediatrics at Delhi and UK (1962-66) and thereafter in pediatric nephrology at Univ of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, USA (1966-1968). He joined the All India Institute of Medical Sciences and remained on the faculty until superannuation in 1997 (since then he is with the Apollo Indraprastha Hospital). Dr Srivastava established a Division of Pediatric Nephrology at AIIMS, which over the years has played a leadership role in providing tertiary care, training and research in the country. He has consistently promoted the specialty of nephrology (he was a founder member of Indian Society of Nephrology, and its President in 1990). He worked for establishing the Indian Society of Pediatric Nephrology and the Asian Pediatric Nephrology Association. He is the recipient of a large number of honours and awards including ST Achar award (IAP), BR Khullar award (ISN), Kamla Menon award (ICMR), world leader in pediatrics award of International Society of Tropical Pediatrics. The International Pediatric Nephrology Association awarded him the distinction of Honorary Membership (2004).

Dr Srivastava was the Director of the Institute of Child Health at Kabul, Afghanistan (1974-78), where he started several teaching and training programmes. He was Visiting Professor in Pediatric Nephrology at UTMB Galveston in 1990-91.

Dr Srivastava was President of IAP in 1996, when he started a Child Abuse and Child Labour Group (now the Indian CANCL Group) within the aegis of IAP. He is a member of the Indian Expert Advisory Group of GOI on polio eradication. He has published 175 scientific papers, edited 9 books and contributed chapters in 18 books.

Dr Ramesh K Puri was the Editor-in-Chief of Indian Pediatrics from March 1990- November 1994. During his tenure the publication scaled new heights and was adjudged as the best medical journal from India. He hailed from Hoshiarpur in Punjab, and was a graduate of the Patiala Medical College and a postgraduate in Pediatrics from JIPMER, Pondicherry. Prof Puri began his teaching carrier as a faculty in the Department of Pediatrics at JIPMER, Pondicherry and later rose to the post of Professor and Head in the same institution. He joined the Department of Pediatrics at Maulana Azad Medical College (MAMC), New Delhi as its Head in February 1989 and retired from there in January 1995. The Department of Pediatrics at MAMC was modernized during his tenure.

During an illustrious career that spanned four decades, Prof. Puri held many responsible positions, and was respected as an academician and an astute clinician. He was the Organizing Secretary of the VIII Asian Congress of Pediatrics (ACP) held in New Delhi in February 1994. Under his dynamic stewardship, the VIII ACP established a global precedent by not accepting any financial support from the Infant Milk Substitute industry, which received international acclaim. The conference was not only an academic success but also a financial accomplishment, with huge savings for the Indian Academy of Pediatrics. During his tenure at MAMC, he was the principal investigator of large community projects funded by the World Health Organization and the World Bank. He had several indexed research publications to his credit and also edited popular books. Dr. Puri was an eminent teacher who was dearly loved by his students. Other noteworthy virtues were his compassionate attitude, easy accessibility to all, and the ability to encourage junior colleagues to perform better. He could easily lower the anxiety level by taking others problems on his shoulders and stated "do not worry, I am there!" (main hun na).

Consequent to his retirement from MAMC, he joined the Apollo Hospitals at Delhi as a Senior Consultant. At the time of his untimely death on January 21, 2005, at the age of 68 years, he was also the Academic Advisor to the Apollo Center for Advanced Pediatrics and Editor-in-Chief of Apollo’s Medical Journal.

Prof Sachdev has the distinction of being the Editor-in-Chief of Indian Pediatrics for the maximum duration, from December 1994-2001. He is Senior Consultant in Pediatrics and Clinical Epidemiology at Sitaram Bhartia Institute of Science and Research, New Delhi; Adjunct Professor, St. John’s Research Institute, Bangalore; and Visiting Professor, MRC Epidemiology Resource Centre, Southampton. He has served as Professor, Department of Pediatrics, Maulana Azad Medical College; National President, Indian Academy of Pediatrics; Secretary, Nutrition Society of India; Regional Advisor, Asian Pacific Pediatric Association; and.

Dr Sachdev has over 200 indexed publications and has edited 15 books and 6 reports. He has been honored with Fellowships from the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (London), National Academy of Medical Sciences and Indian Academy of Pediatrics. Prof. Sachdev is a National Research Awards recipient including from the Indian Council of Medical Research. He has provided services as Advisory Committee Member, Food and Nutrition Board, Ministry of Women and Child Development, Government of India; Chairperson and Expert Group Member of Indian Council of Medical Research, Department of Biotechnology and Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India; and as a consultant to several international and national agencies including WHO, UNICEF, World Bank, Bill and Mellinda Gates Foundation, Wellcome Trust, International Food Policy Research Institute, and USAID.

His current research interests include developmental origins of adult disease, nutrition in children and mothers in Low and Middle Income Countries, and systematic reviews to guide policy and practice.

Dr Panna Choudhury, a Consultant Pediatrician from Lok Nayak Hospital (associated Maulana Azad Medical College), New Delhi was Editor-in-Chief of Indian Pediatrics from 2002 to 2007 and President of the Indian Academy of Pediatrics in 2009. He also served the Academy in numerous task forces and as Chairperson of its Nutrition Chapter, Immunization Committee and Newborn Resuscitation Program.

Dr Choudhury is Advisor/Expert/Investigator for many organizations notably WHO, UNICEF, INCLEN, Asia Pacific Pediatric Association, Emory University, ICMR, Journal of Pediatrics, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Ministry of Science & Technology and Ministry of Health. He is a certified Master Trainer for ‘Helping Babies Breathe’ course by American Academy of Pediatrics.

Dr Choudhury has been visiting Faculty at John Hopkins School of Public Health, Children’s Hospital of Michigan and has given many prestigious Orations. Dr Choudhury has special interest in pediatric nutrition, hematology, infectious diseases and immunization; He has published 100+ papers in reputed journals and Co-Edited many popular books notably ‘Principle of Pediatric and Neonatal Emergencies’, ‘Nutrition in Children: Developing Country Concerns’, Frontiers in Pediatrics., Pediatric Drug Companion, IAP Text Book of Pediatrics and Guidebook of IAP Committee on Immunization.

Currently, Dr Choudhury is Vice-Chairman of Child Health Foundation and organizing advanced vaccinology and child survival related courses for both government functionaries and pediatricians.