Two Manipur University faculty members gain national recognition as Prof Sanatombi is featured by IndiaBioscience and Dr Lilabati receives a research paper award in Bengaluru.
Imphal, Sept. 28: Two faculty members of Manipur University have received national-level recognition in separate fields, with Professor Keithellakpam Sanatombi featured in IndiaBioscience’s Resilience and Representation in Research series and Dr. Pukhrambam Lilabati Devi receiving the Naad Nartan Excellent Research Paper Award 2025 in Bengaluru.
Prof. Sanatombi’s feature documents her academic and research journey in biotechnology, while Dr. Lilabati was recognised for her research in the performing arts and Indian Knowledge System.
Prof. Keithellakpam Sanatombi has been featured in IndiaBioscience’s Resilience and Representation in Research series, which documents the experiences of women researchers across India.
The series looks beyond scientific achievements to examine the leadership, mentorship, collaborations and discoveries of women researchers, alongside the caregiving responsibilities and social expectations that have influenced their professional journeys.
According to IndiaBioscience, the series emerged from a dialogue among women researchers held at IIT Bombay in 2025 and has been developed under the POWERBio–IndiaBioscience partnership initiative on gender equity and leadership in life sciences.
Sanatombi’s profile traces her career from choosing teaching as a profession to establishing herself as a biotechnology researcher at Manipur University.
She completed her BSc from MCM DAV College, Chandigarh, and MSc from Punjab University before securing a CSIR-JRF and returning to Manipur to pursue her PhD.
After joining Manipur University, she worked to develop a new department while dealing with limited infrastructure and establishing her own research programme. She later received the SERB Fast Track Young Scientist grant and DBT BioCARE-Women Scientist grant, which supported the establishment of her laboratory.
A DBT agricultural biotechnology project awarded in 2013 further supported her research into plant cell cultures.
Her work has also extended to digital education. In 2019, Sanatombi introduced two MOOCs — Plant Biochemistry and Biotechnology and Cell Biology — on the SWAYAM platform. The courses attract around 2,000 to 3,000 learners from across India in alternate semesters.
She was also selected for the 2024 cohort of the Women Leadership in STEM Program conducted by the Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC) in collaboration with Grand Challenges India (GCI) and WomenLift Health.
The programme provided exposure to leadership, resilience and professional networking in science. As part of the programme, she undertook an outreach initiative aimed at popularising biotechnology’s role in sustainable development among girl students in schools and colleges across Manipur.
Mentoring young researchers remains another part of her academic work. Most of the PhD scholars in her laboratory are women, with five having completed their doctoral programmes.
Reflecting on her career, Sanatombi has described teaching as deeply fulfilling and emphasised the importance of mentorship, supportive professional networks and leadership opportunities in enabling women scientists to develop and take up leadership roles in STEM.
IndiaBioscience said the series aims to provide a space where the achievements of women researchers are celebrated while the challenges behind their professional journeys receive equal attention.
Separately, Dr. Pukhrambam Lilabati Devi of Manipur University received the Naad Nartan Excellent Research Paper Award 2025 at the Naad Nartan Festival of Dance and Music in Bengaluru.
Dr. Lilabati presented her research paper on September 25 at the three-day International Conference and Concert on “Indian Knowledge System and Its Relevance to Performing Arts”. The conference was held from September 24 to 26 at Janseva Vidya Kendra, Bengaluru.
The award, comprising a certificate and cash prize, was presented to her during the valedictory programme on September 26.
The conference brought together researchers, scholars and practitioners from different parts of India working in dance, music and the performing arts.
Dr. Lilabati also participated in the Naad Nartan Festival of Dance and Music, with her name listed among the dance participants at the valedictory programme.
The recognition follows her receipt of the National Award to Teachers of Higher Educational Institutions and Polytechnics–2026.
The two recognitions mark her recent achievements in teaching, research and the performing arts, while Prof. Sanatombi’s IndiaBioscience feature places her academic journey within a wider discussion on women’s representation, leadership and resilience in scientific research.
