Mysore/Mysuru, Dec. 30 -- The scientist behind first genetic study of Kodavas

Prof. B.K. Thelma, the scientist behind first genetic study of Kodavas (Coorgs), is Coorg Person of the Year-2025. The origin of Kodavas in the State of Karnataka has been a standing riddle for ethnologists all these years.

The credit for solving the mystery behind the origin of Kodavas should go to Kodagu-born Prof. Buttiyanda Kuttapa Thelma and her team.

Carrying out a systematic sampling of the Kodavas from across Kodagu, using the available genetic analytical tools, Prof. Thelma and her team have been successful in publishing a scientific paper on the genetic makeup of the Kodavas.

The selection of 'Coorg Person of the Year' is made on the basis of a pol...