New Delhi, Oct. 25 -- Dr Ashokkumar Veeramuthu, who grew up in Uppatty village near Gudalur in Tamil Nadu's Nilgiris district, has built a research career focused on waste management, plastic pollution and technologies that seek to convert discarded materials into useful products and clean energy.

The son of P Veeramuthu and P Ramayi, both tea plantation workers, Veeramuthu studied at government institutions before pursuing higher education in botany and biotechnology. His research career has since taken him to international institutions and collaborations across several countries.

According to media reports, he has featured in scientist rankings published by Stanford University researchers in collaboration with Elsevier for four consec...