Scientist Received Padma Shri Award for The Discovery of Black Pearls

Dr. Ajai Kumar Sonkar, an independent research scientist from Sangam city, Prayagraj received the coveted Padma Shri award for his remarkable efforts in the field of pearl culture. Dr. Sonkar is the head of the Pearl Aquaculture Research Foundation and the lead investigator of this field's research objective. His expertise in creating pearl-making procedures employing cutting-edge tissue culture has earned him international acclaim.

How His Interest Develops in Freshwater Pearl

Dr. Sonkar studied physics, chemistry, and mathematics at Allahabad University as a youngster with the goal of becoming an engineer. His interest in pearl culture was aroused by an episode of a Doordarshan afternoon TV show. He intended to create a freshwater pearl the same way the Japanese did. While he quickly saw that this would be a difficult undertaking, he did not quit up.

He obtained an invitation to the first International Conference on Pearl Culture in 1993 after successfully developing a method for developing black pearls in freshwater. The expert has scores of research publications in international journals to his name and has lectured on pearl culture in at least 68 countries.

India’s Pearl Are Likewise of Higher Quality, Says Dr. Sonkar

"Japan has the technology, but it lacks a natural environment." A round of pearl culture takes at least two and a half to three years due to the extreme cold. But it takes anywhere from six months to a year in this country. 

This is an advantage that India possesses. Dr. Sonkar added, "Our pearls are likewise of higher quality." Former President Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam lauded Dr. Sonkar's discovery of black pearls as a major achievement for the country. The paper went on to say, "Since then, there has been a constant process of developing new procedures."

In the Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Dr. Sonkar created the black pearl. In an interview with The Daily Telegrams, the pearl scientist claimed, "Andaman has a high potential to generate black pearls, which are the most valuable and uncommon of the rare gems produced by a species of sea oysters known as Pinctada Margaritifera."

Dr. Sonkar Developed New Cell Biology & Tissue Culture Laboratory

Along with his Prayagraj laboratory, he has developed a new cell biology and tissue culture laboratory. He successfully transferred black-lip pearl oysters from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands to his lab, where he created a unique procedure for producing pearls.

"Saltwater oysters, Pinctada margaritifera, can be discovered. After removing their mantle, I transported them to my lab 2,000 kilometres away, taking every precaution to ensure their safety. They were entirely alive and healthy after 72 hours. We cultivated and injected them after that. "They made pearls as well as pearly components," Dr Sonkar told Speed News.

President Ram Nath Kovind Praised Dr. Sonkar for His Achievement

As per media sources, President Ram Nath Kovind praised him for his accomplishment and invited him to Rashtrapati Bhawan on October 19, 2021.

Bivalve mollusc, a little pearl oyster that filters 30 to 100 million gallons of water per day and can retain particles as fine as two microns, has also been studied recently.

The scientist has also invented a method for producing nucleated spherical pearls in freshwater, located an Indian shell that is ideal for nuclei manufacturing, and created his own method for fabricating the highest quality nuclei, which is critical for high-quality pearls.

He received the Padma Shri Award in the area of science and engineering.