Sikkim Forester Awarded Veitch Memorial Medal

KC Pradhan

Gangtok, July 4 (PTI) Sikkim Forester K C Pradhan, who has also served Sikkim as its chief secretary, will be the first Indian and the third Asian to receive the prestigious Veitch Memorial Medal of the Royal Horticulture Society of the United Kingdom.The name of Pradhan for this year's VMM along with three others was announced at the annual general meeting of the RHS on July one.Pradhan is being awarded "for his important role in developing the flower growing industry in India," a RHS release said here.The award, which will be presented by Princess Alexandra today at the Hampton Court Palace Premiere Flower Show, the largest flower show in the world, it said.The VMM is a prestigious prize issued annually by the Royal Horticulture Society to persons of any nationality who have made an outstanding contribution to the advancement and improvement of science and practice of horticulture.Pradhan will, however, not be able to travel to England and the Medal will be received on his behalf by a nominee of the president of the RHS, it said.The VMM was instituted in 1870 in memory of James Veitch of Chelsea in UK.The Royal Horticultural Society is the UK's foremost gardening charity and is more than two centuries old. PTI