Brief Biodata of NARI President and Director
Dr. Nandini Nimbkar (President)
Dr. Nimbkar has 23 years experience in agriculture research. She did her B.Sc. in Botany from University of Pune in 1974 and received her M.S. and Ph.D. in Agronomy from University of Florida, Gainesville, USA in 1978 and 1981 respectively. In 1981, she returned to India to work as a research scientist in the Nimbkar Agricultural Research Institute (NARI) in Phaltan, Maharashtra. She was one of the directors of this institute from 1984 to 1990 and has been the president of NARI since July 1990.
Dr. Nimbkar is a member of the senate and academic council of Shivaji University, Kolhapur and member of academic Council of Konkan Krishi Vidyapeeth, Dapoli. In 1997 she was selected as one of the
47 alumnae of outstanding achievement of University of Florida. These were selected to represent the approximately 85,000 women who had attended the University from 1947 to 1997. Her and her team's efforts have resulted in NARI being given the prestigious FICCI Award for rural development for 2001-02.Dr. Nimbkar has authored/co-authored 18 publications in various national and international journals and written 10 reports of various research projects.
Dr. Anil K. Rajvanshi (Director and Hon. Secretary):
Dr. Rajvanshi has more than 25 years of experience in renewable energy R&D and rural development. He did his B.Tech and M.Tech in Mechanical Engineering from I.I.T. Kanpur in 1972 and 1974 respectively. He received his Ph.D. in Mech. Engg. from University of Florida, Gainesville, USA in 1979. He was also on the faculty of University of Florida (Dept. of Mechanical Engineering) for 2.5 years before returning to India in 1981 to work in a small rural NGO - Nimbkar Agricultural Research Institute (NARI) in Phaltan, Maharashtra. He is presently its Director, Trustee and Hon. Secretary.
Dr. Rajvanshi has been a member of many prestigious committees of the Government of India (Office of the principal Scientific Advisor to the GOI, Planning Commission, Advisory Board of Energy, MNES, etc.) and Government of Maharashtra (State Planning Commission, Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission, etc.). He is the author of the national policy on
Energy Self Sufficient Talukas, which was run by MNES, New Delhi. IN 1998, he was inducted in the U.S. based Solar Hall of Fame. He was awarded the prestigious Jamnalal Bajaj Award for rural development in 2001. In 2004 his work on electric cycle rickshaw was awarded the Energy Globe Award also called the Oscar of Energy.Dr. Rajvanshi is the principal investigator of 30 projects funded by various national and international agencies with grants totaling Rs. 25 million. He has authored/co-authored 109 publications in various national and international journals including 32 editorial articles on sustainable development and spirituality in some of the major newspapers and magazines of India. He has also written chapters in books entitled Alternative Energy in Agriculture (CRC Press, U.S.A. 1987) and Gandhi in 21st Century (Prachee Publications, Hyderabad, 1999). Dr. Rajvanshi has lectured and given seminars at many leading Universities in India and in US. Dr. Rajvanshi has five patents to his credit. Recently he has written a book
Nature of Human Thought in which he has made an attempt to synthesize the ancient Indian Yogic thought with modern cosmology and brain research. Recently he has penned his memoirs about his student days in US.
Detailed biodata of Dr. Rajvanshi
July 2007