Education

Employment/ Fellowships Abroad

Employment/ Fellowships in India

Awards, Honours and Commendations

Noel Deerr Award from STAI, New Delhi conferred by president A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, 2009

Distinguished Scientist Award from Society for Promotion of Plant Science Research, Jaipur, 2009

J. J Chinoy Award from Indian Society for Plant Physiology, New Delhi, 2008

Y. S. Murti Memorial Lecture Award from Indian Botanical Society, New Delhi, 2007

K. K. Nanda Memorial Lecture Award, Indian Society for Plant Physiology, New Delhi, 2006

Panelist and Lead Speaker, World Biotechnology Congress, Chicago, Illinois, USA, 2008

Elected as Vice-President, Indian Society for Plant Physiology, New Delhi, 2008

Elected as Editor, Indian Journal for Plant Physiology, New Delhi, 2009

Member, International Advisory Committee, International Foundation for Sustainable Development in Africa and Asia (IFSDAA), Germany, 2009

Fellow, Sugar Technologists Association of India, New Delhi, 2003

UGC Visiting Fellow, Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra 2004

Certificate of Appreciation for outstanding contributions, Univ of California, Davis, USA, 1998

Commendation certificate by Teachers Association, CCSHAU, Hisar, 1996

Roll of honour by Haryana Agricultural University 2003

Letter of appreciation from Vice-chancellor CCS HAU, Hisar for period 1997-2002

Member, Scientific Advisory Committee on Biofuels, DBT, Govt of India, New Delhi 2007

Principal Investigator, National Biofuels Mission and National Bamboo Mission, DBT, Govt of India, 2006-10

Publications

A total of 135  publications including 28 research papers in top Journals with NAAS rating of more than 7.0 out of 10; four edited books; 14 book chapters and 10 papers in foreign conferences.

Research grants from National Agencies

Obtained seventeen research grants worth Rs 6.17 crores from national agencies (ICAR, DBT, DST, NOVOD): eight (Rs. 2.14 crores) as Principal Investigator and nine (Rs. 4.03 crores) as co-investigator.

Teaching Experience

Courses Taught at HAU: Bot 101 (Basic Biology), Bot 102 (Basic Botany), Bot 302 (Plant Physiology), Bot 401 (Water Relations), Bot 501 (Stress Physiology), Bot 506 (Growth regulators), Bot 507 (Cellular Physiology), PB 511 (Breeding for Stress Resistance)

Supervised 36 post-graduate students: M.Sc./ M. Phil./ Ph.D.;Research Fellows/ Research Associates

Examiner for Ph.D. Thesis in 7 universities: Delhi University, Panjab University, Kurukshetra University, Pantnagar University, Meerut University, Bhopal University, HNB University Srinagar Garwal

Member Board of Studies in 3 universities: Kurukshetra University, Bhopal University, H.N. Bahuguna University Srinagar , Garhwal

International Experience:

Worked at University of California Davis, USA as Visiting Fellow for nearly two years, at Australian National University, Canberra as ANU Scholar for two years and at Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences as Visiting Scientist for two months.

Presented seven papers at international conferences abroad: twice in Australia and five times in U.S.A.

Panelist, World Biotechnology Congress, Chicago, Illinois, USA, 2008.

Invited to deliver Seminar lectures, University of Saskatoon, Sasketchwan, Canada 2009

Experience of Administration:

Wide experience of research administration:  Worked as Director, Centre for Plant Biotechnology, Hisar and also Director, Patent Information Centre Haryana, Hisar for five years 2006-11.  Earlier acted as Incharge, Plant Physiology Section from 1986 to 1997 and Incharge, Plant Biotechnology Lab from 1997 to 2006 at CCS HAU Regional Research Station, Karnal. Also acted at RRS Karnal as Incharge Academic Affairs, Incharge Security and Incharge Research Farms.

Technologies Developed:

Developed protocols for commercial tissue culture of sugarcane, banana, strawberry, bamboos

Developed PCR based markers for identification of specific alleles of sucrose synthase-2 and invertase genes in sugarcane.  These markers can be used to identify high sucrose sugarcane cultivars.

Participated in development of Brassica variety RH-781 released as a frost tolerant variety by HAU.

Developed a technology for improving germination of sugarcane setts.  This has gone into “Package of Practices” of Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar

Organization of Seminars/Symposium/Trainings/Workshops:

Organizing Secretary, National Seminar on Sucrose Recovery in Sugarcane, RRS, Karnal 1997.

Secretary, AICRP Workshop on sugarcane, RRS, Karnal, 1999

Secretary, 46th AICRIP Maize Workshop, RRS, Karnal 2003.

Member, core organizing committee, Internl conference on sustainable crop production, Jabalpur, 2005

Chairman Organizing Committee, “Indian Soc. for Plant Physiology, Zonal Seminar”, CPB, Hisar, 2009

Organizing Secretary national Seminar on “Physiological and Biotechnological approaches to improve plant productivity”,  CPB, Hisar, 2008.

Chairman Organizing Committee, Seminar on “Biotechnology and IPR Issues”, CPB, Hisar, 2010

Member, International Advisory Committee, 3rd IFSDAA International Seminar, Hungary, 2009

Organized 15 trainings: 12 for students, 2 for teachers, 1 for Horticulture officer: CPB Hisar 2006-10.

Organized six Patent Awareness Workshops at NDRI, KU, Ambala, HAU, Bawal and Murthal, 2006-10

Organizing Secretary, Conference on “Vision 2020: Sugarcane”, CCS HAU RRS, Karnal, 2011

Membership/office-bearer of Professional Bodies:

Life Member, Indian Science Congress Association, Kolkata

Life Member, Indian Society for Plant Physiology, New Delhi

Secretary, K.K. Nanda Foundation for Advancement of Plant Sciences, Delhi

Member, Crop Science Society of America, U.S.A.

Advisor, KamTek, Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.A.

Member, Research Board, ABI Institute, Raleigh, North Carolina, U.S.A.

Member, Sugar Technologists Association of India

Obtained seventeen research grants worth Rs 6.17 crores from national agencies (ICAR, DBT, DST, NOVOD): eight (Rs. 2.14 crores) as Principal Investigator and nine (Rs. 4.03 crores) as co-investigator.Seven of these are currently in operation. Details as below