British doctor Ronald Ross won the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine in 1902 for his work on malaria. Although this was a turning point in medical history, and helped discover the role of mosquitoes in malaria transmission, Kishori Mohan Bandyopadhyay, an Indian research assistant, was not as well known for his work.
During the late 1890s, Kishori Mohan Bandyopadhyay helped Ronald Ross with fieldwork and research in the lab. His knowledge of the locals helped him collect blood samples and understand mosquitoes. However, Kishori Mohan Bandyopadhyay's story is not well known, and he went from working in the lab to working in the community to help with public health in Bengal.
Bandyopadhyay was born in Entally, Calcutta, in 1877. He was well educated due to his family background. He graduated from Presidency College with a science degree and joined Ross's research team in 1898.
Ross had established a laboratory in Mahanad village in Hooghly district, approximately 8 km from Pandua, to conduct malaria research. Bandyopadhyay lived in his ancestral home in Panihati, across the river from Mahanad.
Malaria was a huge problem in India, and it was important to understand how the disease was being transmitted so prevention strategies could be developed. Ross was researching the link between malaria and mosquitoes under the influence by previous research done by Patrick Manson. Ross was researching whether the malaria parasite could be transmitted by mosquitoes.
This work was very detailed and required researchers to find patients with malaria, collect samples to look at under the microscope, and collect mosquitoes.
Bandyopadhyay helped Ross with his research by bridging the gap between the lab and community. His knowledge of the villages and people in Bengal helped him find patients and assist with fieldwork. He also helped with the lab work by looking at and dissecting mosquitoes.
Another assistant, Mahomed Bakhsh also helped Ross. The lab team conducted research to increase knowledge of mosquito borne diseases.
On August 20, 1897, Ross observed developmental stages of the malaria parasite in a mosquito after it had fed on an infected person. This was a key milestone in his investigation into mosquito transmission. His subsequent experiments in 1898 demonstrated the development and transmission of avian malaria parasites through mosquitoes. The transmission of human malaria by Anopheles mosquitoes was subsequently established through further research, including work by Italian scientists. These discoveries helped lay the foundations of modern malaria prevention.
Ross was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1902. However, Bandyopadhyay was not awarded any recognition internationally.
However, he was awarded the King Edward VII Gold Medal in 1903. This was the result of efforts by prominent Indian intellectuals and scientists to secure recognition for his contribution. These included Upendranath Brahmachari, Jagadish Chandra Bose, Brajendra Nath Seal, Sivanath Sastri, Surendranath Banerjee and Prafulla Chandra Ray, who appealed to Viceroy Lord Curzon on his behalf. The medal was presented during the Delhi Durbar in 1903. A felicitation ceremony was subsequently held in Calcutta, presided over by Chittaranjan Das.
Due to British colonial rule, many research assistants were employed in labs. This means that many people who contributed to research were not recognised to the same extent as the main researchers.
Ross wrote a memoir in 1923 called Memoirs: With a Full Account of the Great Malaria Problem and Its Solution. Bandyopadhyay was disappointed with how little recognition he received, as his story was documented in later years. However, it is hard to tell how much of this was intentional.
Overall, Bandyopadhyay's story shows how difficult it can be to find out how much people contributed to research.
Bandyopadhyay was involved in the fight against malaria in the community. Poor hygiene, poor drainage and lack of access to healthcare were causing problems for the community.
In 1918, a doctor named Gopal Chandra Chattopadhyay helped set up the Panihati Co-operative Anti-Malaria Society. It was established on March 24 and had 27 members. The society aimed to encourage the villagers to work together to reduce malaria.
Bandyopadhyay was actively involved in this movement and became the secretary of the society. The society focused on cleaning the ponds and drains of the community, removing waste from the area, tackling areas where mosquitoes could breed, and giving out quinine to patients. Its activities also included spraying kerosene to tackle mosquito breeding sites. The initiative helped bring malaria under control locally and inspired the formation of similar anti-malaria societies in other villages. The Central Anti-Malaria Cooperative Society was subsequently formed in 1919.
He used a magic lantern (an early type of projector) to help educate the public. With the help of his friend Lakshminarayan Roychowdhury, described by Partha P. Majumder as India's first roaming photo artist, he prepared slides explaining malaria transmission by mosquitoes. He created illustrated talks about how mosquitoes breed.
This was important, as it helped educate people in the community who may not have had much access to scientific information. This helped them understand how to prevent malaria.
This movement grew, and by 1928, it is reported that there were around 3500 villages with anti-malaria societies.
Bandyopadhyay was also involved in contributing to the community economically. In 1927, he helped set up the Panihati Co-operative Bank. He was willing to give up his own money (his wife’s gold jewellery) to help create this bank.
This showed that he understood that public health wasn’t just about preventing malaria. People can become vulnerable if they are in poverty. Creating institutions within the community helped local development.
Bandyopadhyay died in 1929, aged around 52. He didn’t win a Nobel Prize, but he left a unique legacy in Bengal. He contributed to scientific research, educating people about malaria and setting up co-operatives.
References:
1. Majumder, Partha P. “Brilliant but Eclipsed: Bengal Scientist Kishori Mohan Bandyopadhyay’s Work Helped Lay the Foundations of Malaria Control.” The Telegraph, August 20, 2026. https://www.telegraphindia.com/amp/opinion/brilliant-but-eclipsed-how-a-bengal-scientist-layed-foundations-of-malaria-control-prnt/cid/2175815.
2. The Better India. “Kishori Mohan Bandyopadhyay Worked with Ronald Ross on Malaria Research but Never Got the Nobel Prize.” The Better India. https://thebetterindia.com/324194/kishori-mohan-bandyopadhyay-worked-with-ronald-ross-malaria-research-nobel-prize-history/.
3. Cox, Francis E. G. “History of the Discovery of the Malaria Parasites and Their Vectors.” Parasites & Vectors 3, no. 1 (2010): 5. https://doi.org/10.1186/1756-3305-3-5.
4. Ross, Ronald. Memoirs: With a Full Account of the Great Malaria Problem and Its Solution. London: John Murray, 1923.
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