Dr Coluthur Gopalan is the architect of research and institutions in an unexplored field of NUTRITION SCIENCE, instrumental in serving midday meal to school children for the first time in independent India. His commendable work on food's Nutritive Value and analysis of over five hundredIndian foods made India the first developing country to have its own RDA-Recommended Dietary Allowances.

HIS Contribution to Healthcare Landscape in India ;

Dr. Gopalan modernised ICMR and brought neglected, deficiencies and communicable diseases under its purview by establishing:

* Malaria Research Institute.
# Vector Control Research Institute.
* Leprosy Research Institute.
* Founded National Nutrition Foundation.
* Initiated interventions like Integrated Child Development services-ICDS.
* National Nutrition Monitoring Bureau (NNMB) to resolve protein and vitamin deficiencies by Massive Dose Vitamin-A and iron supplementation and other fortification programmes.

Change-Making Positions Held ;

* Midday Meal Scheme to School Children.
* His holistic and multi-disciplinary approach tempered India's developmental policies giving nutrition a prime place.
* Clinical research Units in Biochemistry, Biophysics, Endocrinology and Food Toxicology came up for intensive study of nutrition.
* Inspired many Third world countries for eradication of undernutrition and formed a
Federation of Asian Nutrition Societies (FANS).
* Director General of ICMR.
* Director of National Institute of Nutrition.
* Published "Nutritive Value of Indian Foods*.

Laurels Brought to Dr Gopalan's Novelty of Work ;

* Conferred Padma Shri by the Government of India in 1970.
* Conferred Padma Bhushan by the Government of India in 2003.
* First Federation of Asian Nutrition Sciences (FANS) Living Legendary Award in 2019.
* Lifetime Achievement Award from National Academy of Medical Sciences (NAMS).
* Living Legend Award of International Union of Nutrition Sciences (IUNS).
# His research inputs honoured by renaming burning feat syndrome as Grierson-Gopalan Syndrome.

Impact Brought in the Lives of Common Indians ;

In newly independent and food grain scarce India, Dr Gopalan's tireless advocacy of nutrition, beyond food, accorded nutrition the most important factor in the health of a nation and its people.