Prof K C Bansal elected as Fellow of ‘The World Academy of Sciences’ for his groundbreaking work in plant biotech

 The fellowship, effective from January 1, 2025, recognizes Prof. Bansal’s outstanding contributions to science and its promotion in the developing world.

Prof. KC Bansal, an eminent agricultural scientist and former Director of the National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources (ICAR), has been elected as a Fellow of The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS) for his groundbreaking work in plant biotechnology, including developing transgenic crops for drought and salt stress tolerance.

The fellowship, effective from January 1, 2025, recognizes Prof. Bansal’s outstanding contributions to science and its promotion in the developing world. This achievement highlights a rare distinction, as only a select few Indian agricultural scientists, approximately seven so far, have been inducted as TWAS Fellows. The induction ceremony for newly elected members will take place during the next TWAS General Conference.

Prof. KC Bansal is a world-renowned plant biotechnologist with deep interest in genome engineering for building climate resilient and sustainable agriculture.  He obtained his doctorate with Gold Medal from Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), New Delhi and pursued post-doctorate from the prestigious Harvard University, Cambridge, USA. He worked as Visiting Scientist at Rutgers University, USA under the aegis of Rockefeller Career Biotech Fellowship. 

Currently, Prof. Bansal is Adjunct Professor at the Centre for Crop and Food Innovation, Murdoch University, Perth, Australia, and serves on the Board of Directors of Global Plant Council; Board of Trustees of the MS Swaminathan Research Foundation, Chennai, and on the Research Advisory Council of IARI, New Delhi. He is Chairman of the NASF’s Technical Advisory Committee of the National Network on Genome Editing in Plants. He is the first recipient of the prestigious Norman Borlaug Chair, selected in 2010 (a position equivalent to the University Vice-Chancellor).

Prof. Bansal served as elected Secretary of the National Academy of Agricultural Sciences (NAAS), India (2021 to 2023), as Director of the premier ICAR institute, National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources, Department of Agricultural Research and Education, Govt. of India, New Delhi from 2010-2016, and as elected Vice-Chair from Asia for the 15th Regular Session of the Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture of the United Nations (2013-2015).

Prof. Bansal played the key, visionary role in formulating the World Bank project on National Agricultural Higher Education (NAHEP), which is implemented across 75 agricultural universities in the country, since 2017.

 The fellowship, effective from January 1, 2025,