M adhav Gadgil was born amidst the hills of Western Ghats and from an early age was fascinated by its rich natural and cultural
heritage. He held State Junior and Pune University High Jump records; these outdoor interests are at the root of his life-long,
vigorous pursuit of ecological field work. He was educated in Pune, Mumbai and Harvard University and was the first biology
student at Harvard to receive a Ph.D. degree for a thesis based on mathematical modeling. This also won him the IBM Fellowship
of Harvard Computing Center. For 31 years he was on the faculty of Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru where he established
the Center for Ecological Sciences. He has served as a Lecturer on Biology at Harvard and a Visiting Professor at Stanford
Universities. His scientific interests focus on ecology and evolutionary biology, conservation biology, human ecology, natural resource management and ecological history.
He has served on various policy making bodies including the Committee that advised on establishment of a Ministry of Environment by Government of India, Silent Valley
Hydel Project Appraisal Committee, Science Advisory Council to PM, Karnataka State Planning Board, National Advisory Council and Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel. He
is a recipient of Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Award, Vikram Sarabhai Award, Harvard’s Centennial medal, Volvo Environment Prize, Tyler Award for Environmental
Achievement, Karnataka Rajyotsava Award and Padma Bhushan.
Prof. Gadhav Gadgil is currently the Emeritus Fellow at TIES, since January 2021.
He passed away on 7th January, 2026. However, his memories are still alive with us.
Ambassador (Retired) Venu Rajamony is a distinguished Indian diplomat, scholar, and policy leader with over 34 years of international experience. A former Ambassador of India to the Netherlands, he has served in several senior positions including Press Secretary to the President of India, Consul General of India in Dubai, and Officer on Special Duty (External Cooperation) to the Government of Kerala. A respected academic, Ambassador Rajamony is Professor of Diplomatic Practice at O.P. Jindal Global University and KPS Menon Chair Professor for Diplomatic Studies at Mahatma Gandhi University. He also serves as Principal Adviser to Jain (Deemed-to-be University), Kochi, and Chairman of the Future Kerala Mission, an initiative focused on quality education, youth empowerment, entrepreneurship, and sustainable development. He contributes extensively to public policy and institutional governance in roles such as Senior Adviser for South Asia to the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue, Geneva, Adviser to the Centre for Public Policy Research, Strategic Adviser to VFS Global, and member of various academic and strategic bodies. Ambassador Rajamony has authored several notable books, including What We Can Learn from the Dutch – Rebuilding Kerala Post 2018 Floods, India and the Netherlands – Past, Present and Future, and India and the UAE: In Celebration of a Legendary Friendship. Fluent in Chinese (Mandarin) and several Indian languages, he holds degrees from Mahatma Gandhi University, Jawaharlal Nehru University, and the University of Hong Kong. Before joining the Indian Foreign Service, he began his career as a journalist with The Indian Express. Ambassador Venu Rajamony divides his time between Kochi and Delhi and continues to contribute to diplomacy, education, and sustainable development.
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