Dr. K. L. Chadha




Dr Chadha receiving the prestigious Padma Shri by Her Excellency, the President of India on March 22, 2012. 



1. PERSONAL INFORMATION

  • Born : November 15, 1936 at Bhopalwala, District Sialkot (Now in Pakistan)

2. EDUCATION

  • M.Sc. (Agri.) (1957-60) : College of Agriculture, Ludhiana, Punjab University, Chandigarh
  • Ph.D. (Hort.) (1960-63), P.G. School, IARI, New Delhi

3. POSITIONS HELD

Public Sector 
  • Indian Council of Agricultural Research, New Delhi

  • National Professor, IARI, New Delhi (1997 - 2001)

  • Deputy Director General (Hort.) ICAR (1987 - 1996)

  • Director, Indian Institute of Horticultural Research (ICAR), Bangalore (1980 - 1986)

  • Project Co-ord (Fruits), and Head, Central Mango Research Station, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh (1972 - 1980)

  • Asstt. Horticulturist, IARI, New Delhi (1963-64)

  • Ministry of Agriculture, Government of India, New Delhi

  • Horticulture Commissioner (1986 - 1987)

  • Executive Director, National Horticulture Board, (1986 –1988)

  • Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana

  • Fruit Specialist (1964 –1969).

Private Sector
  • Chief Agriculture Adviser (EUREPGAP) in FICCI

  • Chairman, Indian Society of Agri-business Professionals, New Delhi


4. OFFICES HELD IN PROFESSIONAL SOCIETIES

NATIONAL
Served as President of nine and Vice President of five professional Societies. Important among these are:
  • National Academy of Agricultural Sciences, New Delhi (Vice President, 2000-02)

  • Indian Society of Agricultural Sciences, New Delhi (President, 1994-96)

  • The Horticultural Society of India, New Delhi (President, 1990-till date)

  • All India Kitchen Garden Association (Chief Patron, 1990-till date)


5. INTERNATIONAL ASSIGNMENTS

Committees: International assignments covered more than 35 countries. Some important are: 
  • Indian Representative on International Society of Horticulture Sciences, The Hague, (20 years) 

  • Chairman, International Mango Working Group (16 years)

  • Secretary: Sub-Group on Viticulture for South- East Asia (15 years)

  • Vice-Chairman: Commission on Tropical and Sub-Tropical Horticulture (7 years) and

  • Member (7 yrs) (Vice Chairman 3 yrs), Board of Trustees, International Potato Centre, Lima, Peru

Consultancies: 
    • FAO: Short term consultant in Fruit Production in eight countries of Asia:

    • Consultant in Genetic Resources in Thailand

    • USAID: Consultant on mango production to HEIA, Cairo, Egypt

    • IPGRI: Consultant on Genetic Resources in citrus, mango and sub-tropical fruits

  • WORLD BANK: Consultant in Nursery Production of horticulture and Forestry species


7. POSITIONS IN PROFESSIONAL COMMITTEES

Associated with several important technical and policy making committees. Some of these are:

Govt. of India (GOI)
    • Chairman, Working Group for Horticulture Development in India of the Planning Commission for X Plan & XI Plan and Secretary, VIII Plan

    • Chairman, National Committee on identifying areas of potential for oilpalm cultivation in India, (Ministry of Agriculture, GOI)

    • Chairman, Registration Committee for Pesticides, New Delhi (Ministry of Agriculture, GOI)

    • Member, National Steering Committee for Organic Products, New Delhi (Ministry of Commerce, GOI)

  • Member, Planning Commission Committee for Mid-term Review of XI Plan in Agriculture in different states


State Govt. 
    • Chairman, High Power Committee on Restructuring of Department of Agriculture, Delhi

    • Chairman, High Power Committee for Development of Horticulture and allied products in West Bengal

    • Chairman, Working Group for Development of Horticulture in Haryana StateChairman, Brain Storming Session for the Development of Horticulture in Gujarat at Navsari

    • Member, Task Force to develop Agriculture Vision Document for Kerala, Trivandrum

  • Member, Task Force on Agriculture and Animal Husbandry, Rajasthan, Jaipur


8. CONTRIBUTIONS TO AGRI/HORT. LITERATURE

A prolific science writer has made monumental contributions to horticultural literature and has authored/edited 30 books. Some important books are: 
    • ‘Advances in Horticulture’ in 13 volumes (9,410 pages)

    • ‘Biotechnology of Horticulture and Plantation Crops’

    • ‘Agriculture and Environment’

    • ‘Hand Book of Horticulture’

    • ‘The Grape’ and

  • ‘The Apple’


9. AWARDS

Won several honours and awards for outstanding contributions/excellence in Agriculture/Horticulture, namely: Awards: 
    • Borlaug Award, (1984)

    • Om Prakash Bhasin Award, (1992)

    • Dr H.M. Marigowda Award, (1996)

    • S.S Ranade Memorial Life Time Achievement Award, (1999)

    • All India Kitchen Garden Association Millennium Achievement Award, (2001)

    • HSI-Shivshakti Life Time Achievement Award by HSI, (2008)

    • Dr B.P. Pal Memorial Award of NAAS, (2009)

    • Agriculture Leadership Award by Agriculture Today, (2010)


  • Doctor of Science (Honoris Causa) from 3 universities namely: C.S. Azad University of Agri. &Tech., Kanpur, (1995) Orissa University of Agriculture & Technology, Bhubaneswar, (2008) Rajendra Agricultural University, Pusa, Bihar, (2009)


    Dr. Chadha is an icon and doyen of Indian Horticulture. Occupying key positions as researcher, research manager, planner and administrator, Dr. Chadha has steered policy, planning, research and development of horticulture in India for almost five decades. He has been associated in creating a massive research infrastructure through establishment of a number of Institutes and National Research Centres; enhanced financial outlays as Chairman/Secretary of Planning Commission, Task force on Horticulture for 3 successive plans; development of new varieties, hybrids and technologies by different institutes, massive contribution to horticulture, his initiative and associating in launching several visionary development programmes; developing the first Centre of Excellence on Tropical Horticulture at Bangalore and revising and modernizing course curricula for UG and PG levels to suite changing needs of horticulture industry. 

    Dr Chadha spearheaded the Indian Horticulture towards heralding “Golden Revolution". As a result his name has become synonymous with Horticulture in India. He is among those few who have the vision and at the same time possess abilities to achieve the same.

For his yeomen’s service to Horticulture Dr Chadha was conferred the prestigious Padma Shri by Her Excellency, the President of India on March 22, 2012. 

President



Dr. K. L CHADHA
(Padma Shri Awardee)

Formerly
National Professor (Hort.)
ICAR
Dy. Director General (Hort.)
ICAR
Horticultural Commissioner
Min of Agri, GOI
Executive Director
National Horticulture Board, GOI
Director,
Indian Inst. of Hort. Research (ICAR)

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