British geneticist and biometrician J.B.S. Haldane, one of the world’s leading scientists who did pioneering work in human cloning and evolution, was born on this day. In 1957, he moved to India and later became a citizen of this country. He worked for a while at Indian Statistical Institute (ISI) Calcutta.

His career was as brilliant as it was marked by controversy. He taught at the University of Cambridge, the University of California and the University of London (1933-57).

He became a Communist but became disillusioned with the ideology. He left Great Britain because of his political views. He had also said much in favour of India’s political climate. In India, he joined the ISI in Calcutta, which he left over a problem about a non-academic matter.

Later, he headed the government-run Genetics and Biometry Laboratory in Bhubaneswar. He died in Bhubaneswar.

Arthur C. Clarke described him as “perhaps the most brilliant science populariser of his generation”.

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