Pioneer Member

Archana Chugh – As a Doctoral student from 1996-2002 at the Department of Plant Molecular Biology, University of Delhi South Campus, I found Prof. Khurana to be a warm and impressive personality. His aura as a brilliant and patient academician was impossible to miss. He guided me for my doctoral work on Arabidopsis. Scientific discussions with him were always insightful. He always supported students while sharing interesting anecdotes from his remarkable professional journey. He is one of the most revered professors I have ever had. He had great knowledge about his domain, and he made significant contributions to the field of plant molecular biology nationally and internationally. The community misses his presence immensely.

Vijay Gahlaut – I am sincerely grateful for the opportunity to pay tribute to Prof. Jitendra Paul Khurana, an ASPB Pioneer whose contributions to plant molecular biology have left a lasting impact on the field. As a J.C. Bose National Fellow and distinguished professor at the Department of Plant Molecular Biology, University of Delhi South Campus, Prof. Khurana advanced pioneering research in photobiology, signal transduction, and the molecular genetics of higher plants.

I had the opportunity to meet Prof. Khurana in 2017, soon after completing my Ph.D., when I sought his guidance for postdoctoral opportunities. Although I was not his direct student, he, along with Prof. Paramjit Khurana, generously supported and mentored me. With their encouragement, I was able to secure three prestigious Indian postdoctoral fellowships: the DST-National Postdoctoral Fellowship, UGC-Dr. D. S. Kothari Postdoctoral Fellowship, and DST-INSPIRE Faculty Fellowship. I remain deeply grateful to Prof. Khurana for his invaluable support and guidance.

His mentorship extended far beyond formal academic boundaries and inspired generations of plant biologists. His passion for knowledge and commitment to excellence were truly exceptional. As a scientist, mentor, and leader who served multiple positions, he upheld the highest standards of scientific rigour and dedication to advancing plant science in India and beyond.

I deeply miss him, but his influence remains profound. His legacy continues through the students he mentored, the research he inspired, and the enduring recognition of his contributions as an ASPB Pioneer.

Ravinder Jain – I met Prof Khurana in 1984 when I was an MSc student at the Dept of Botany in Delhi University. He was a PhD student then and was known just as JP or Khurana. He was also a demonstrator in our plant physiology lab. We were impressed with his knowledge of the subject matter. More so, he was a caring person and someone you could approach for not only subject matter questions but also for mentoring questions such as which special paper to take, which book to study, and where to apply for further studies. He seemed to have an anecdote for every question we asked. We immediately took to liking him. He was like a big brother to us.

After finishing my MSc, I wanted to do a PhD and study abroad. This was the year 1986 when there was no internet. Any information was not easy to find. Several of us came from middle class background and were the first ones to go to the university. Khurana was a godsend to many of us.

Instead of convincing us to join his lab, he encouraged us to apply abroad. He knew of several students who had gone abroad to study and suggested us to apply in those universities. He personally wrote letters for us to those students asking for their advice. Once we got admitted, he again asked for which lab/university to choose from. Remember there were no emails then. It took a month for the whole process to complete by mail.

I went on to do my PhD in Canada and then worked in research and patent law in Canada and the USA. I did not have a typical academic career, but Prof. Khurana played an important role in my professional and personal life, and I was able to build a good life in Canada.

His generosity motivated me to mentor students and new immigrants in Canada through an educational franchise and volunteering work. I hope others will be motivated by his acts of kindness and try to make this world a better place.

Arun Pandey – It is a privilege to write this testimonial for Prof. Jitendra P. Khurana, Former Head, Department of Plant Molecular Biology, University of Delhi, India. He has been recognised as an eminent plant molecular biologist, distinguished academic administrator, and inspiring teacher. Prof. Khurana has made outstanding contributions to plant molecular biology, plant developmental biology, photomorphogenesis, hormone signalling, and molecular genetics in plants.

I had the opportunity to work closely with him during my tenure as Dean of Colleges, University of Delhi, particularly in matters related to university administration, academic planning, and institutional development. During this period, I observed his remarkable administrative acumen, balanced decision-making, and unwavering commitment to academic excellence. His tenure as Director, South Campus, and as ProVice-Chancellor of the University of Delhi reflected his ability to lead with integrity, foresight, and inclusiveness.

Prof. Khurana possessed an exceptional combination of scientific excellence and administrative competence. As a teacher and researcher, he inspired students and colleagues alike through his deep knowledge of plant molecular biology and his dedication to quality research. His contributions have significantly advanced the understanding of plant growth, development, and molecular signalling, earning him both national and international recognition.

What particularly distinguishes Prof. Khurana is his humility, collegial nature, and willingness to support colleagues and students. He consistently encouraged interdisciplinary collaborations, promoted academic innovation, and worked tirelessly for the strengthening of research and teaching infrastructure within the university.
His leadership was always guided by fairness, transparency, and a strong sense of institutional responsibility. He played a vital role in fostering an environment conducive to academic growth and research excellence while also ensuring efficient governance and harmonious working relationships among faculty and administrators.
I hold Prof. Jitendra P. Khurana in the highest esteem and am confident that his contributions to science, education, and academic administration will continue to inspire future generations.

I wholeheartedly recommend him as an outstanding scholar, administrator, and mentor of exceptional merit and distinction.

Arun Kumar Sharma – It is very nostalgic to write about Professor Jitendra P. Khurana, who contributed immensely to plant science but left us too soon. I had a long association with him at the Department of Plant Molecular Biology, University of Delhi. I have known him since our PhD days, as he was a student of Prof. S. C. Maheshwari who happened to be the supervisor of my PhD supervisor, Prof. Sudhir Sopory. He was several years senior to me in the Ph.D. program. Later, in 1997, he became my senior colleague when I joined the same department. My perception of Prof. Khurana is a scientist who ventured into new scientific areas but never left his first love, the area of light signaling. Prof. Khurana and his colleagues isolated and characterized Arabidopsis phototropism mutants JK224, which is named after him. This genetic research led to the identification of the blue light photoreceptor phototropin. Other areas in which Prof. Khurana contributed were the structural and functional genomics of rice, wheat and tomato. As I mentioned earlier, although he contributed in different areas of research, he always persisted with his love for light signaling. After his superannuation, I served as supervisor for a few of his students to fulfill formalities. This period made me more familiar with his work on light signaling. In addition to being a great researcher, he was a very passionate and outstanding teacher. He also served as a very good administrator, serving as head of the department three times. He also served as Director, South Campus and also officiated as Pro-Vice Chancellor at Delhi University. As a colleague at the department, he helped us and motivated us to raise the quality of our research. Above all, his colleagues and students know him as a great human being.

Yogesh Sharma & Manoj Sharma – It was a great stroke of luck that we came to first meet Dr. Jitendra Paul (JP) Khurana in 1983 in the Department of Botany of University of Delhi in India where we were masters (MSc) students. Dr. Khurana, who was a recent Ph.D. and a research fellow in the department, was assisting, along with other research fellows, Prof. Satish Maheshwari in teaching the practical component of the Plant Physiology course. While Dr. Khurana was a great teacher and a research scholar, his easy demeanor with a pleasant smile greatly endeared him to the students. That plant physiology class influenced both of us to enroll in a yearlong special Plant Cell and Molecular Biology class with Professor Maheshwari. That class allowed us to embed ourselves in Prof. Maheshwari’s research lab where Dr. Khurana along with other research fellows became our mentors. We clearly recall that Dr. Khurana was always very approachable and very generous with his time guiding us not only on our research projects but also in showing us future research opportunities for graduate work outside the Botany Department. He provided invaluable guidance and connected us with his friends in the prestigious National Institute of Immunology (NII) and Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi. These connections helped us start our research careers in NII. After spending a year in NII, one of us (YS) got an opportunity to come to the University of Texas at Austin to pursue a PhD in Botany, While MS continued his PhD in immunology at NII. Dr. Khurana was instrumental in guiding YS to join the PhD program in UT Austin. We can say without any doubt whatsoever that without the generous guidance and mentorship provided by Dr. Khurana, our lives would not have led us to successful professional careers in the USA. By the time we finished our respective PhD programs and advanced in our research careers as post docs, (MS at UCSD and YS at the Ohio State University), Dr. Khurana had become a renowned scientist in his own right after discovering important Arabidopsis mutants (JK218 and JK224) that were altered in their blue light reception and phototropism. Discovery of these mutants was a seminal and groundbreaking discovery that eventually paved the path to isolation of the blue-light photoreceptor gene by Dr. Mannie Liscum in the lab of Dr. Winslow Briggs at the Carnegie Institution of Washington. While Dr. Khurana went on to become a major contributor to plant biology research in general, and specially in India by becoming a Professor and Head of the Department of Plant Molecular Biology at Delhi University, one of his most impactful legacies is his life-altering mentorship of numerous students like us. We hope to carry his legacy forward by being a positive force for change in other people’s lives.

Prabodh Kumar Trivedi – Prof. J.P. Khurana was not only an exceptional scientist but also a visionary mentor whose contributions to plant molecular biology have left an indelible mark on the scientific community. I had the privilege of meeting him for the first time during my PhD, and every interaction with him felt like engaging with an encyclopedia of plant molecular biology. His vast knowledge, clarity of thought, and ability to connect fundamental concepts with emerging scientific questions were truly remarkable. Throughout my scientific journey, Prof. Khurana consistently encouraged and inspired me to pursue science with rigour and conviction, emphasising the importance of establishing concepts through careful experimentation and critical thinking. Later, while I was working at CSIR–National Botanical Research Institute (CSIR-NBRI), he served on the Institute’s Research Council. His insightful suggestions and constructive guidance significantly influenced my research and motivated me to strive for higher standards of scientific excellence.
Prof. Khurana’s lectures and presentations were always intellectually stimulating and inspiring, not only to me but also to countless members of the scientific community. His passion for science, commitment to excellence, and dedication to mentoring young researchers made him a role model for generations of scientists. His untimely demise has created a profound void in the field of plant science, not only in India but also across the international scientific community. While we mourn the loss of a distinguished scientist and mentor, his scientific legacy, wisdom, and inspiration will continue to guide and motivate researchers for years to come. I remain deeply grateful for his support, encouragement, and the lasting impact he had on my career and scientific outlook.