Guwahati: Prof. Dhruva Kumar Jha a professor in Gauhati University’s Department of Botany passed away on Saturday.
Prof. Jha was receiving treatment for a severe brain injury following an accident a few days ago.
As soon as the students and faculty learned about his accident and the seriousness of his injuries, a pall of sorrow settled upon the whole university campus.
Prof. Jha leaves behind his wife and lone child. His family and other loved ones will suffer a great loss and the university, the GU Community, especially the Department of Botany where he worked for more than 30 years will suffer an immeasurable loss. He was one of the best botanists in the nation, the region, and a unique asset the university had, thus his passing is a loss to the entire scientific community.
Prof. Dhruva Kumar Jha completed MSc in Botany with a concentration in Plant Pathology from Patna University and a PhD in Microbial Ecology from NEHU, Shillong.
He began working at Gauhati University in 1991 as an assistant professor in the department of botany and in 2010 he was promoted to professor.
With more than 1400 citations to date, his study on rizhobacteria that promote plant growth that he co-authored with PN Bhattacharyya and published in the World Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology (Springer) remains one of the most well-cited publications from Gauhati University and in the field.