Dr. Azad Singh Panwar

Dr. A. S. Panwar earned his Ph.D. in Agronomy from Chaudhary Charan Singh University. He began his professional career at Dr. Yashwant Singh Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry and later joined the Indian Council of Agricultural Research after being selected as Senior Scientist (Agronomy). He served at the ICAR Research Complex for North Eastern Hill Region, where he made remarkable contributions to agricultural research and development, particularly for the North Eastern Hill region of India. Owing to his outstanding scientific achievements and leadership abilities, he was promoted to the position of Principal Scientist in 2008 and subsequently became Principal Scientist and Head in 2012. In January 2016, Dr. Panwar was selected for the prestigious post of Director and joined the ICAR-Indian Institute of Farming Systems Research. Under his dynamic leadership, the institute achieved significant progress in the field of farming systems research and sustainable agriculture. He served the institute with distinction until his superannuation in January 2023.

Dr. Panwar is widely recognized as a distinguished agricultural scientist with extensive national and international experience. He has collaborated with several renowned international organizations, including the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center, International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics, and the United Nations for economics of ecosystem and biodiversity. He has also worked closely with reputed international universities and research institutions such as Wageningen University and Research, Utrecht University, University of Colorado, and universities in New York, USA. His research and technological innovations have greatly benefited the farming community, especially in the areas of sustainable agriculture, integrated farming systems, and resource conservation technologies. Dr. Panwar has authored more than 450 research papers, popular articles, seminar presentations, technical bulletins, and books. In recognition of his exceptional contributions to agricultural science and rural development, he has received over 25 national and international awards and honours. These include the prestigious Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed Award for Outstanding Research in Tribal Areas and the Outstanding Team Research Award. In addition, he is a Fellow of three professional scientific societies, reflecting his distinguished stature in the scientific community.