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Prof. V. N. Rajasekharan Pillai is the Vice-Chancellor of Indira Gandhi National
Open University (IGNOU), New Delhi. He is also the Chairman of the Distance
Education Council( DEC), which looks after the co-ordination of standards,
quality, recognition and developmental assistance to all the 13 State Open
Universities, over 150 Distance Education Institutes in the Conventional
Universities and in other private Open and Distance Learning institutions in
the country. Prof. Pillai has been at
the helm of affairs of many higher education institutions during his career
spanning over 37 years. His experiences and contributions to the field of
science and educational administration are rich and varied. He has served as
the Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the University Grants Commission (UGC), New
Delhi; Director of the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC),
Bangalore; Vice-Chancellor of the Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam, Kerala;
Vice-Chancellor of the Cochin University
of Science and Technology; Founder-Director of the School of Chemical Sciences;
Dean of Faculty of Science; Controller of Examinations; Director of College
Development Council; Founder-Director of the School of Professional Distance
Education and Chief, Employment and Information Guidance Bureau of the Mahatma
Gandhi University. He is a Fellow of
the prestigious Indian Academy of Sciences and an Honorary Senior Fellow of the
Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Bangalore.
An active teacher and
researcher in the field of Chemical Sciences, Prof. Rajasekharan Pillai has
held post-doctoral and visiting research professor positions in the
Universities of Tubingen (Germany), Mainz (Germany) and Lausanne (Switzerland).
He created an internationally renowned
research group in the area of biopolymers and peptides and has published
extensively (about 200 refereed research publications in international
journals) in this area. Over 50 doctoral researchers have been guided by him,
all of them now occupying leading positions in academia, R&D, and industry
in India and abroad. His research publications have received over 1600
citations during the last 18 years and he is one among the top-cited chemists
in the country. He holds an International patent for the gram-scale preparation
of biologically important peptides. In January 2008, he received the
Presidential Gold Medal of the Indian Science Congress from the Prime Minister
of India. In 2007, he has been conferred the Triennial National M. V. Pylee
Award for the Top Academician of India. In 2006, Prof. Pillai was recognized by
the R.R. Varma Foundation Best Teacher Award. In 2005, he received the Indian
Chemical Society Award for his life-long research achievements in the area of
chemical sciences. In 1996, Dr. Pillai received the Materials Research Society
of India Lecture Award. His contributions to science and education have also
been recognized by the conferment of honorary doctorates. Widely traveled all over the world, Dr.
Pillai has presented papers, given invited and plenary lectures, chaired
sessions in a large number of National and International conferences, delivered
Convocation Addresses, Endowment Lectures and Special Orations in a large number of Universities and institutions. He has hosted several National and
International discussions meetings including Indian Academy of Sciences Annual
Meeting and Vice-Chancellors Conferences.
SPECIFIC HIGHLIGHTS OF RECENT ACTIVITIES
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All through his 38 years of service as a teacher, researcher, institution builder and educational administrator, he has been interacting very closely with the institutions at the grass-root levels with students, teachers, college and university authorities, State Councils for H.E. and Chancellor’s offices, gathering inputs from them and promoting independent initiatives of institutions. This provided the real strength for Prof. Pillai in contextualizing and implementing the various schemes with participation of all stakeholders.
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The Collegiate Education system in the country is being revitalized through joint approaches involving Directorates of Collegiate Education, Principals & Managements Associations, Teacher’s Organizations and student wings for which Prof. Pillai provided the leadership during the last 15 years.
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As a teacher and researcher also he has a sustained track record of quality innovations, and excellent research contributions (which is being continued even now in the midst of administrative responsibilities).
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Interaction with other sectors connected with higher education for capacity-building of teachers in the general liberal education system, with the much-needed focus on social sciences, humanities and basic sciences is a major contribution he has made during his tenure in the UGC.
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Technology-enabled teaching and learning for the conventional collegiate education system is a major initiative he launched.
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Creating brand institutions of undergraduate higher education in basic sciences was a project he has engaged in the UGC which paved the foundation for the new Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research (IISER) in the country.
Address for Correspondence: (Office): Vice-Chancellor, Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), Maidan Garhi, New Delhi-110 067. (Residence) #801 Nikka Singh Block, Asiad Village, New Delhi-110 017. e-mail: vnr.pillai@ignou.ac.in; rajasekharpillai@gmail.com ; vco@ignou.ac.in