Dr. Raj S Paroda
Chairman, Trust for Advancement of Agricultural Sciences (TAAS)
Dr. Raj S. Paroda, former Director General, Indian Council of Agricultural Research and Secretary DARE, Govt. of India has made significant contributions in the field of agriculture. He modernized Indian national agricultural research system and created more than 30 new institutions including the National Gene Bank. He was President of Indian Science Congress and the National Academy of Agricultural Sciences. He was elected Founder Chairman, Global Forum on Agricultural Research (GFAR), Chairman, ICRISAT Board of Trustees, and Executive Secretary of Asia-Pacific Association of Agricultural Research Institution (APAARI). Seventeen universities have awarded him D.Sc. degree, including Ohio State University. He is Honorary Fellow of American Society of Crop Science and American Society of Agronomy, besides fellow of TWAS and Agricultural Academies of Russia, Armenia, Georgia, Tajikistan and Kazakhstan. He is recipient of many national and international awards, including Padma Bhushan. Currently, he is Chairman, Trust for Advancement of Agricultural Science, New Delhi.