Dr Rajendra Singh Paroda, Chair, Trust for Advancement of Agricultural Sciences (TAAS), has been elected Fellow of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (ATSE). He is the only Foreign Fellow to be elected this year.
ATSE is Australia’s foremost impact network for leading applied scientists, technologists and engineers. “We’re thrilled to see Dr Paroda join this group,” says ATSE. The Indian scientist is considered to be a global agriculture authority. Twenty-seven tech trailblazers and influential innovators have been honoured by the ATSE this year.
ATSE’s 2022 new Fellows are leaders in their fields spanning structural engineering, research commercialisation, sustainable technology and mining, marine modelling and cutting-edge health systems.
Dr Paroda is an acclaimed agricultural scientist specializing in plant genetics and breeding. His contributions to plant breeding and genetic resource management are globally recognized and include establishing the first modern national gene bank in India.
As Secretary, Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE), he modernized India’s agricultural research system, creating more than 30 new research institutes. The resulting innovations doubled India’s foodgrain production from 130 million tonnes (mt) in 1980 to 260 mt in 2011, underpinning food security for a rapidly growing population.
Dr Paroda’s outstanding contributions have strengthened agricultural research and innovation internationally, particularly in Asia and the developing world. He established and then led key international bodies, including the Global Forum on Agricultural Research (GFAR) and the Asia-Pacific Association of Agricultural Research Institutions (APAARI).
He has a long association with Australian scientists and organizations, including Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO). He served on the Advisory Council of the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR).