Land and Soils

Dr. T.N. Khoshoo combines many years of experience of an outstanding teacher, researcher, administrator and a policy maker.  He is a well-known botanist and was the Director of the National Botanical Research Institute (Lucknow) upto May 1982.  He then took over as Secretary to the Government of India in the Department of Environment, a post which he held upto May 1985.  Thereafter, to date, he has been working as Distinguished Scientist of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research at the Tata Energy Research Institute.  For the past decade, Dr. Khoshoo has been interested in environment and resource management.  He has also provided leadership in a wide-range of environmental areas.  He was responsible for starting several innovative All India Co-ordinate Research and Development Projects relevant to the environmental situation in India.  This helped to create a base for Research and Development, Education and Training, and Demonstration and Extension in various facets of environmental sciences, and policy and sustainable management.  In the words of Dr. M.S. Swaminathan, Dr. Khoshoo combines "remarkable breath of vision and depth of knowledge.  Coupled with these qualities is the broad humanism which has led to the growth of a first rate scientist into a dedicated strategist for human survival."  Dr. Khoshoo is the recepient of many honours and awards for his work.  Among other awards, he has been the recepient of the prestigious Sanjay Gandhi Prize for environment and ecology, and the Rafi Ahmed Kidwai Medal and Prize of ICAR for his work on ornamentals which have helped to enhance the beauty of our environment. Besides, he has been awarded a number of medals, and other distinctions and fellowships from professional societies and science academies.  At present, his chief interests are resource management, sustainable development and conservation strategy in a developing country setting.