V. N. Rajasekharan Pillai

Infobox University Vice-Chancellor
name =V N Rajasekharan Pillai


caption =
order =
university =Vice-Chancellor of the Indira Gandhi National Open University IGNOU
term_start =2006
term_end =present
birth_date =Birth date and age|1949|10|20|df=y
birth_place =Cengannur, Kerala State, India
death_date =
death_place =
predecessor =H P Dikshit
successor =
alumna =
residence = 800-A, Asiad Village, New Delhi-110049,India
profession = Teaching
religion = Hindu
salary = 25,000 INR
spouse = Dr. Geetha Pillai
children = Balanarayan Pillai and Gayathri Pillai
website =
footnotes =|Professor V. N. Rajasekharan Pillai is the current Vice Chancellor of Indira Gandhi National Open University IGNOU.

Awards, posts and positions Held

Pillai has been at the helm of affairs of many higher education institutions during his career spanning over 35 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), Govt of India, New Delhi, served as the Director of the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC), Bangalore, Vice-Chancellor of the Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam, Vice-Chancellor (Acting) 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.

An active teacher and researcher in the field of Chemical Sciences, Pillai has held post-doctoral and visiting research Professor positions in the Universities of Tubingen, Mainz ( Germany ) and Lausanne ( Switzerland ). He is leading 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. About 50 doctoral researchers have been guided by him, all of them occupying leading positions in academia, R&D, and industry in India and abroad. His research publications have received over 1500 citations during the last 15 years and he is one among the top-cited chemists in the country. The exceptional quality of his research and its relevance is evident from the Impact Factor of his 122 papers published in international refereed journals which is 37.50 (as First Author) and for all papers 11.16 in contrast to the national average of 3.68 for Chemistry in India. This indicates the high quality, relevance and use of the research work of the Scientist by others.

He holds an International patent for the gram-scale preparation of biologically important peptides which is being used by a Swiss Company. His expertise is also sought by the Boards of a few biotech related companies and on expert committees in education, science, technology and culture. Widely traveled all over the world, Dr. Pillai has presented papers and given invited and plenary lectures and chaired sessions in a large number of National/International conferences. He has hosted several National and International discussions meetings including Indian Academy of Sciences Annual Meeting and Vice-Chancellors Conference.

In honor of his acclaimed work, Pillai has gained wide recognition, to mention a few: an elected Fellow of the Indian Academy of Sciences and an Honorary Senior Fellow of the Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Bangalore . Recipient of Materials Research Society of India Lecture Award (1997). Chairman, Convenor and member of several national and international committees on Science, Education and Technology. He has served as a member of the Executive Board of the Asia-Pacific University Presidents Association representing India (1998). Member of the working group constituted by the Government of India for the preparation of Indian Science Policy Document for UNESCO. Convenor and member of the Search Committees of Vice-Chancellors for Central and State Universities . Chairman of Deemed Universities Committees, AICTE-Accreditation teams, and AIU affiliation committees. He has also been a member of the Governing Boards and Executive Councils of several National Bodies in Education and of Central Universities (BHU and Pondicherry ); Indian Institute of Advanced Studies, Shimla, and National Library, Kolkata. He has been honoured with D.Sc. (honoris causa) for this contribution in the areas of polymer science, biopolymers and peptides. In 2006, he has been conferred the triennial Prof. M. V. Pylee Award instituted by the Cochin University of Science and Technology for the Distinguished Academician of the Country.

NAAC and UGC

As Director of NAAC, Pillai, was instrumental in triggering and implementing a large number of quality initiatives in colleges and universities. An incorrigible optimistic outlook and untiring enthusiasm are the hallmarks of his successful tenure as Director, NAAC from 2001 to 2003. Pillai, formulated an action plan for quality evaluation, sustenance and quality upgradation for the higher education institutions in the country which has been accepted and being implemented by all the State Governments. Interacted with hundreds of Universities and Colleges in all States in the country, held discussions with almost all State Governments, teachers and student organizations, State higher education councils, Vice-Chancellors and Chancellor’s offices for preparing a state-of-the-art picture of the Collegiate education system in various States. These documents have been published and acted upon by a number of States.

Pillai through his visionary leadership and ability to take people and institutions along with him succeeded in launching a Total Quality Management (TQM) movement in Collegiate education in the state of Karnataka which is now being replicated on similar lines by other states. It is to his credit that NAAC signed an MoU with NCTE for the evaluation of Teacher Education Institutions. He was a member of the working group which prepared the 10th Plan vision -document for higher education. The visits and interactions with the Higher Education systems and Quality Assurance Agencies of several countries in Europe and Asia-Pacific Regions have helped him in infusing innovations relevant to the Indian context.

As Vice-Chairman of the UGC, he has been actively interacting with the Colleges and Universities for promoting the independent initiatives of institutions and influencing change. The Schemes of UGC for Women’s Studies, Minority and Backward Classes, Autonomous Colleges, Strengthening of N.E. Colleges, Nehru-Gandhi-Ambedkar-Aurobindo Studies, Adult, Continuing and Population Education and Non-Formal Education have been revitalized in the Universities and Colleges through several focused activities directed independently Pillai after assuming the office of the Vice-Chairman. In 2004 he led a delegation of VCs and Directors of Deemed Universities to study the higher education scenario in the East African Countries for internationalization of Indian higher education and for strengthening the academic linkages between Indian and African higher education institutions.

pecific highlights Of recent activities

* For the last 10 years, Pillai has been working at the Vice-Chancellor or Vice-Chancellor level positions in Universities/National Institutions.
* For the last 5 years, he has been working with the UGC, first as the Director of NAAC ( an autonomous organization set up by UGC for quality evaluation and accreditation of Universities and Colleges in the country) and then as the Vice-Chairman/Chairman of the UGC.
* All through his 36 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 Pillai in contextualizing and implementing the various schemes with participation of all stakeholders.
* 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 Pillai provided the leadership during the last five years.
* 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).
* 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.
* Technology-enabled teaching and learning for the conventional collegiate education system with the help of institutions like IIIT is a major initiative he launched.
* Creating brand institutions of undergraduate higher education in basic sciences (basing on the existing high quality institutions) and humanities in the pattern of IITs and IIMs is a project he is currently working on.
* User Feedback Committees for gathering inputs from stakeholders about the utility of the various UGC schemes at the regional levels, Cluster of colleges, strengthening of North-Eastern & J&K colleges and Examination reforms, are some of the recent activities initiated by Pillai.

ee also

* List of Vice-Chancellors of the Indira Gandhi National Open University

External links

* [http://www.ignou.ac.in/aboutus/vnrp.htm/ Vice-Chancellor's Office, Indira Gandhi National Open University]