Dr C Gopalan, Founder President, Nutrition Society of India (NSI) and President, Nutrition Foundation of India who has over 60 years of distinguished leadership in nutrition declared as living legend by the International Union of Nutrition Sciences (IUNS) at its 20th International Congress of Nutrition held in Grenada, Spain 2103.
He held various posts including president of International Union of Nutritional Sciences, (1975-79), Chairman of Regional Advisory Committee on Medical Research, World Health Organisation (WHO) (1975-1980), member, Global Advisory Committee on Medical Research, WHO, (1977-80), member, Nutrition Expert Panel of the WHO/FAO for several years and participated in all the major meetings of the panel during the last 30 years.
Dr C Gopalan is recipient of many awards such as Basant Devi Amir Chand prize of the Indian Council of Medical Research, Amrut Mody Research Award, Dr. B.C. Roy National Award for “Development of Specialities in Medicine-Nutrition”, Ambuj Nath Bose Prize of the Royal college of Physicians, London, Dhanvantri Award for outstanding contribution in Medical Research and Leadership in the field of nutrition and medical research, Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry Award for contribution in the field of nutrition, WHO-Health for All Medal, Sir C.V Raman Gold Medal of the Indian National Science Academy in recognition of outstanding scientific merit, International Union of Nutrition Sciences Award for outstanding work on nutritional problems of developing countries, R.D Birla Award for outstanding medical research. Besides he was awarded the Centenary Honorary Fellowship of The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine on the occasion of the Centenary Celebrations, 1999.
The International Union of Nutritional Sciences (IUNS) is the umbrella organization for nutrition societies all over the world. The IUNS has a special consultative status with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the Administrative Committee on Coordination/Subcommittee on Nutrition and is an associate member of the Council for International Organizations of Medical Sciences (CIOMS), and has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the United Nations University (UNU). It has close cooperation with the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), and various ICSU bodies, and with the International Union of Food Science and Technology (IUFoST), including establishing joint committees and working groups.