Dr Mahtab Bamji (pictured), honorary scientist at the Indian National Science Academy and former director of the Hyderabad-based National Institute of Nutrition (NIN) has been selected to receive the Living Legend Award of the International Union of Nutritional Sciences (IUNS). Bamji will, however, not be travelling to South America to receive the Award, she stated, in conversation with Parsiana on October 5, 2017 the day she turned 83. "Visa problems, and it is such a long journey…they are not 
supporting us financially,” she said cheerily. The award was collected on her behalf by Dr V. Prakash, vice president of IUNS and ex director of Central Food Technological Research Institute at IUNS’s 21st International Congress of Nutrition (ICN) in Buenos Aires, Argentina on October 18, 2017.
Congratulating Bamji in an email, Prakash, wrote "IUNS and ICN is honoring itself by honoring you, though little bit late… You have richly deserved it… The news (is) to be cherished by all nutritionists in the country and globally.” The award is presented to "individual members…who are 80 years or above who have significantly contributed to the advancement of nutrition at national, regional and global level through professional activities such as research, teaching, services,” said a report in The Hindu of September 25, quoting a communiqué from IUNS secretary general Catherine Geissler.
An alumna of Ramnarain Ruia College in Bombay, Bamji acquired her PhD in biochemistry from Bombay University while working at the Institute of Science, Bangalore. She is currently Emeritus Scientist at the Dangoria Charitable Trust where she aims at developing strategies for health, food, nutrition and livelihood security in villages of Medak district near Hyderabad.
"We are a very close knit family,” she says of her twin sibling, and their 23 nephews and nieces. Bamji and her sister Dr Mahrukh Joshi are the only surviving siblings of the nine children of Maj Sohrab and Meherbanoo Bamji. The scientist, who admires Zoroastrian philosophy, calls the religion one of the more liberal ones in the world. "But I am a kind of an agnostic… I do not go to fire temples… I do not believe that if you go to temples, god will listen to you,” she states. "Putting into practice” good thoughts, good words and good deeds is more important for her. "Manav seva is Madhav seva (service to humanity is service to god),” says Bamji.
Vienna-headquartered IUNS is a non-governmental organization (NGO) established in 1948 devoted to the advancement of nutrition and has 82 national bodies and 16 affiliates. NIN works under the aegis of the Indian Council of Medical Research overseen by the ministry of health and family welfare, government of India.