GSIPER is incomplete without Prof. (Dr.) Dhirendranath Nandi. Let’s start to remember his journey and his professional achievements throughout his life.
PROF. (DR.) DHIRENDRA NATH NANDI
(13th August, 1918- 26th March, 2017)
Dr. Dhirendra Nath Nandi was born in a remote village at Paharpur in Bankura District of West Bengal, India on 13th August, 1918.
Since his childhood he aspired to be a doctor with an intense desire to serve the society. Having graduated in Medicine from the University of Calcutta in the year 1945, he obtained a Master degree in Science (Psychology) in the year 1950 and was awarded Ph. D in Psychological Medicine in the year 1958 from the same University. For further studies he proceeded to U.K. in 1960 and passed the examination of D.P.M. from Scotland in 1961 and M.R.C.P. from Edinburgh in 1963 and later on became a Fellow of Royal College of Psychiatry, London.
He is also a fellow of the prestigious Institutes of Indian Academy of Medical Science New Delhi and Asiatic Society, India.
He is a founder member of the Royal College of Psychiatry, London and has been conferred Fellowship of the Society in the year 1977.
He started his career as a Physiology teacher 1948 in a medical college in Calcutta the subject. Later, in the year 1970, he became a Professor and the Head of the Department of Psychological Medicine of University college of Medicine, University of Calcutta.
Through The Indian Red Cross Society, he played a lead role in developing public awareness in society regarding the importance of mental health. He had been President of the following prestigious associations in the field of Psychiatry.
- President, Indian Association of Social Psychiatry.
- President, Indian Psychiatric Society.
- President, Indian Psycho-analytical Society.
Throughout his career, he has put tremendous efforts into developing awareness about mental health in the society and improvement of methods of mental treatment. To enable the masses to understand the importance of mental health, he wrote an extremely popular book on this subject in local vernacular entitled “MONER BIKAR O PRATIKAR”. He has also taken the main initiative to publish a quarterly magazine namely “MONER KATHA” dealing with different aspects of mental health. The magazine of which he is the Chief Editor has a fair number of circulations. The Introduction of Psychiatric Counselling course in affiliation with Netaji Subhas Open University, Calcutta is another of his great contribution towards Psychiatry.
His researches on various aspects of Society and related importance of Psychiatry including those on various branches of tribal have been widely acclaimed and many of his research papers have been accepted as study materials in related educational institutions.
About One hundred of such Research papers have been published both in India as well as abroad.
His contribution towards advancement in the field of Psychiatry and Psycho-analysis has been recognized by many distinguished Institutions with awards. Some of them are noted below: -
- Merfatia Prize award by Indian Psychiatric Society in the year 1976.
- Coats Gold Medal award by University of Calcutta in the year 1984.
- D.L.N.Murthi Rao Oration Award by Indian Psychiatric Society in the year 1985.
- Bombay Psychiatric Society Silver Jubilee Award by Indian Psychiatric Society in the year 1985.
- Adhar Chandra Memorial Oration Award by University of Calcutta in the year 1991.
- Poona Psychiatric Society Award by Indian Psychiatric Society both in the years 1993 and 2002.
- N.N.Dey Oration Award by Indian Association of Social Psychiatric in the year 1995.
- Sir William Jones medal for best research by Asiatic Society in 2002.
- Sir Ronald Ross Memorial Oration Award by Institute of Post Graduate Medical Education and Research in the year 2002.
- Sudhir Chandra Mitra plaque for eminent work in Psychology by Asiatic Society in the year 2006.
Our beloved founder President passed away on 26th March, 2017 in Kolkata at the age of 98.
