Eminent Environmental Scientist Prof Madhav Gadgil Dies at 83

Pune: Prof Madhav Gadgil (83), eminent environmental scientist and former chairman of the Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel, passed away on Wednesday night in Pune. He had been suffering from a prolonged illness and was undergoing treatment at Prayag Hospital in Pune. His family confirmed the death. The cremation will be held today at 4 pm.

Prof. Gadgil was a pioneering figure who laid a strong scientific and practical foundation for environmental conservation efforts in India. He had repeatedly warned that unregulated infrastructure development in the Western Ghats region could lead to severe ecological disasters. In 2011, he submitted the landmark Gadgil Report following an expert study on the Western Ghats mountain range.

After completing his postgraduate studies in biology from Pune and Mumbai universities, Prof. Gadgil earned his PhD in Mathematical Ecology from Harvard University. During his time at Harvard, he was selected as an IBM Fellow, served as a research fellow in applied mathematics, and also worked as a faculty member in the biology department.

From 1973 to 2004, he was a professor at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru. He also served as a visiting professor at Stanford University and the University of California, Berkeley. Prof. Gadgil was a member of the expert committee that drafted India’s Biological Diversity Act, 2002.

He served as a member of the Prime Minister’s Scientific Advisory Committee from 1986 to 1990, and later as Chairman of the International Scientific and Technological Advisory Committee from 1998 to 2002. He was a Fellow of the Indian Academy of Sciences, the Indian National Science Academy, and the Third World Academy of Sciences. He was also a foreign associate of the U S National Academy of Sciences and an honorary member of British and American ecological societies.

In recognition of his outstanding contributions, the nation honoured Prof. Madhav Gadgil with the Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan awards.