Prof. K. Pavithran (1933 - ) who served in the Genetics & Plant Breeding Division of Department of Botany, University of Calicut for about two decades and retired in 1993 as Professor was the founder Secretary of Gregor Mendel Foundation. He instituted the foundation in 1991 as a registered society registered at Calicut and with headquarters at Calicut University. The foundation was established with the objective of furthering studies and research in biological sciences with special emphasis on Genetics, Breeding and Biotechnology.

Prof. Pavithran is one of the most prominent rice geneticists of India and he has carried out extensive research on rice genetics, linkage mapping and clustering of rice grains. His research interests include wild rices, native rices of Kerala and medicinal rices also. He published several research papers in reputed international journals and organized Gregor Mendel Foundation Seminars consecutively starting from 1991.

He trained his students scientifically and systematically making them capable of holding the flame of scientific spirit and temper untiringly.