Born in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India on 17 March 1964. Educated at Central Hindu School, Varanasi, 1979-81; Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, B.Sc. (Hons), 1981-84; M.Sc. (Ag.), 1986-88, Chandra Shekhar Azad University of Agriculture & Technology, Ph.D. 1992.

Director, ICAR-Indian Institute of Wheat & Barley Research, Karnal, 2016 to date.

Scientist, National Research Centre for Soybean, Indore, 1993-94; Scientist, Central Potato Research Institute, Shimla, 1994-96; Scientist & Scientist (Senior Scale), Directorate of Wheat Research, Karnal; Senior Scientist & Principal Scientist, Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, 2001-2008 & 2009-2016.

Awards/Honours: Dr. Rafi Ahmed Kidwai Award, Dr. B.P. Pal Gold Medal Award, V.S. Mathur Memorial Award, 2014, Indian Society of Genetics and Plant Breeding, New Delhi.

Fellow: Mahindra Samridhi Award for Institution Society of Advancement of Wheat Research, Karnal; Indian Society of Genetics and Plant Breeding, New Delhi, India; Society for Scientific Development in Agriculture and Technology Jhansi.

Research Areas: Wheat improvement, abiotic stress, physiological phenotyping, MARS & MAB