Dr. P. K. Chakrabarty has served ICAR in various capacities as Scientist (Plant Pathology), Principal Scientist (Biotechnology) and Head, Division of Crop Improvement at the Central Institute for Cotton Research (CICR) Nagpur, before joining ICAR, Krishi Bhavan, New Delhi, as Assistant Director General (Plant Protection & Biosafety). He extensively studied and did pioneering research on general and molecular Plant pathology with special reference to host-pathogen interaction, signal transduction for resistance signalling, functional genomics of pathogenicity genes, molecular diagnostics and transgenic research. He did his post-doctoral research at the University of Florida, Gainesville and at the University of Missouri-Columbia in Columbia, USA. He is also an adjunct faculty of UF, Gainesville. He visited several countries including Australia, UK, Canada, Brazil, Ecuador, Switzerland, Netherlands, China, Malaysia, Singapore, Nepal, Bhutan, Ethiopia, Bangladesh etc., representing National and international causes on Plant protection and biosafety. Besides his assignments as ADG plant protection in ICAR, he was the nodal officer on GM Biosafety and Biosecurity; member of the CIBRC, Ministry of Agriculture; Member of RCGM, DBT; Chairman of technical committee of Central Sector scheme on Monitoring pesticide residue at National level, DAC, MOA; Member, Task force (Agricultural Biotechnology), DBT; Member Task Force DRDO, MEA; Chairman, Board of Institute of Pesticides Formulation Technology, Ministry of Chemicals & Fertilizers, GOI; Member of Governing Body and Executive body of NIPHM, Hyderabad, etc. With his direct association with four National Plant Protection Institutes of ICAR and seven All India coordinated research projects on plant protection, as ADG (PP) besides policy makers in the Ministry of Agriculture he has been associated with development of policies and guidelines for enabling and ensuring Crop biosecurity. Since April, 2019, he is working as Member (Plant Sciences), ASRB, New Delhi in the Ministry of Agri. & Farmers Welfare, GOI, New Delhi. He was President of Indian Society of Mycology & Plant Pathology for two consecutive years from 2018-19 to 2019-20 and also of Indian Phytopathological Society during 2020-21. He is a Fellow of NAAS, New Delhi, besides several other Professional Scientific Societies.Dr. Kalyan K Mondal received both BSc (Ag) Hons and MSc (Ag) Plant Pathology from the Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswa Vidyalaya, West Bengal in 1991 and 1993, respectively. He obtained his doctoral degree in Plant Pathology from ICAR-IARI, New Delhi in 1999. After a stint (2001-2006) as Scientist at CSKHPKV, Palampur, Dr. Mondal joined Div. of Plant Pathology, ICAR-IARI, New Delhi as Senior Scientist (2006-2012) and presently as Principal Scientist (since Dec, 2012). He was trained from Stanford University, California, USA as a visiting scholar to have insight into the role of bacterial Type-3-Secretion-System (T3SS) effectors in the modulation of plant defense. He deciphered for the first-time effector repertoire of two important bacterial pathogens, Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo) and X. axonopodis pv. punicae (Xap) infecting rice and pomegranate, respectively. He functionally demonstrated the role of crucial effectors of both the pathogens during disease development in respective crops; He generated full genome sequence of Xoo race 4, a virulent population from India; developed and commercialized blight resistance rice varieties against race 4, namely Pusa 1592, Pusa 1718 and Pusa 1728 having R- genes xa13 and Xa21. Dr. Mondal became the Fellow of IPS (2013), SARP (2020) and member of The National Academy of Sciences India (2013); He is the recipient of many prestigious awards including Prof MK Patel Memorial Young Scientist Award (2008); Prof MJ Narasimhan Academic Merit Award (2001), Prof. JP Verma Memorial Award (2016) from Indian Phytopathological Society, New Delhi. He serves as a guest reviewer for journals of international repute including BMC Microbiology, Plant Disease, Frontiers of Microbiology, MPMI, Microbial Pathogenesis, Scientific Reports, PMPP, Plant Pathology. He served as a member of important academic and research committees including Task Force DBT (Agricultural Biotechnology), Project Reviewer DST-SERB, Member IMC, ICAR-NBAIM (2016-2019); Editor (2017-2019) for Indian Phytopathology and presently Jt. Secretary of Indian Phytopathological Society. He published >50 research papers in journals of international repute and authored a very popular text book “Plant Bacteriology” published by Kalyani publishers. He has delivered lead talks, guest lectures in international conferences across the world including Philippines, Vietnam, China, Thailand and USA.Dr. M. S. Saharan did his PhD in Plant pathology (Gold Medalist) from CCS HAU, Hisar, Haryana. He is presently Head, Division of Plant Pathology, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi. Earlier till 2016, he served in different capacities like Scientist, Senior Scientist, Principal Scientist and Principal Investigator, Crop Protection at ICAR-IIWBR, Karnal. He contributed significantly in Wheat Pathology research and actively participated in strategy implemenation for managing wheat rusts and Karnal bunt in main wheat belt of the country. He characterized Fusarium spp. causing head scab of wheat. He was also associated in draft genome sequencing of Tilletia indica and Bipolaris sorokiniana, two major pathogens of wheat He has rich experience on genetics of resistance and management aspects of plant diseases. He contributed significantly in the development and release of 16 wheat varieties in the country besides registering 23 wheat genetic stocks for rusts, Karnal bunt, head scab and spot blotch resistance. He worked in many international collaborative research projects viz., ISCB, ACIAR, CIMMYT, BBSRC etc. He is widely travelled scientist and visited Mexico, Switzerland, Russia, Japan, China, Bangladesh, Nepal, Kenya, Turkey, Malaysia, Australia, Italy and USA for participating and presenting invited talks in international conferences. He is recipient of prestigious BGRI Gene Stewardship Award and is also a Fellow of National Academy of Agricultural Sciences, New Delhi besides Indian Phytopathological Society, New Delhi and Society for Advancement of Wheat & Barley Research, Karnal.Dr. J. Kumar did his Ph.D. from Dr YSPUH&F, Solan, H.P. in Mycology & Plant Pathology and is Alexander Humboldt Fellow of Germany. He served ICAR in several capacities like Principal Scientist, IIWBR, Karnal; Head of IARI Regional Research Stations at Wellington (T.N.) and also, at Shimla (H.P.), Joint Director, School of Crop Health Biology Research, ICAR-NIBSM, Raipur, Chhattisgarh (2015) and Director of ICAR - National Institute of Biotic Stress Management, Raipur, Chhattisgarh – a deemed to be University. He has vast experience of developing plant disease forecasting models. He worked on bio - chemical basis of host resistance in cereals besides earning specialization in breeding for disease resistance in wheat. He is associated with development of 12 wheat varieties resistant to various diseases in India. He has rich experience of research in plant pathology and molecular biology through international exposure during his research stay at CIMMYT, Mexico and Justus Liebig University, Germany. He registered five genetic stocks with ICAR-NBPGR. Dr. Kumar visited Germany, Mexico, Hungary, Belgium, China and Nepal as a part of his research assignments. Besides, having several awards, he is fellow of Indian Phytopathological Society, New Delhi and Society for Advancement of Wheat & Barley Research, Karnal.Dr. C. D. Mayee is a renowned Plant Protection scientist and is currently serving as the President of the South Asia Biotechnology Centre (SABC), New Delhi and Chairman of Agricultural Finance Corporation of India, Mumbai. Born in a farming family of Maharashtra, Dr Mayee obtained his agricultural degrees from Maharashtra and PhD from IARI in Plant Pathology. He commenced his career in Plant Pathology research at IARI and worked in various capacities at Central Rice Research Institute, Cuttack; Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana; the Ford Foundation, Delhi and Maharashtra Agricultural University (MAU) Parbhani for nearly 30 years. The research, teaching and extension experiences led him to serve as Vice Chancellor-MAU Parbhani; Director-Central Institute of Cotton, Nagpur and Agriculture Commissioner, Govt. of India, New Delhi before superannuating as the Chairman, Agricultural Scientists Recruitment Board, Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare, Government of India.Though specialized in Plant Pathology, Dr. Mayee committed himself for the overall growth of Indian Agriculture. He guided 20 PhD and more than 38 MSc students, wrote several books and monographs, published over 200 scientific publications in journals of repute and served the cause of Agriculture Cop Protection through development of the subject. He is Fellow of several scientific committees and associations including Alexander Humboldt Fellow of Germany and National Academy of Agricultural Sciences (NAAS). He is also a member of several international societies including ISAAA and ABNE, Africa. Biotechnology is his passion and he is instrumental in first commercial release of Bt cotton in India in 2002, a great feat that revolutionized cotton production in the country. Dr. Mayee has been. He is recipient of several honours and awards for agriculture development including the life time Achievements Awards and honorary Doctors of Philosophy from many Universities. Currently Dr Mayee is Member on the Board of Management of many organizations and Universities. His super administrative capabilities and practical knowledge on plant protection issues and rational policy decisions on agriculture including those related to crops biosecurity makes him one of the much sought-after scientists in the academia and among policy makers. He has widely travelled and visited more than 50 countries in the world.
