V. N. Rajasekharan Pillai

Prof. V. N. Rajasekharan Pillai
वी एन राजशेखरन पिल्लई
Vice-Chancellor of Somaiya Vidyavihar University and Provost, Somaiya Vidyavihar Since 24 January 2018 Executive vice president of the Kerala State Council for Science, Technology and Environment, Govt of Kerala 2011–2015 6th vice chancellor of the Indira Gandhi National Open University
In office 20 October 2006 – 20 October 2011
Preceded by	H P Dikshit
Chairman University Grants Commission
In office 2005–2006
Preceded by	Arun Nigvekar
Succeeded by	S K Thorat
Vice Chairman University Grants Commission
In office 2003–2005
Director of the National Assessment and Accreditation Council
In office 19 April 2001 – 18 April 2003
Preceded by	Hari Gautam
Succeeded by	V S Prasad
Vice Chancellor of the Mahatma Gandhi University
Vice Chancellor of the Cochin University
Personal details
Born	(1949-10-20) 20 October 1949 Cengannur, Kerala State, India
Spouse	Geetha Pillai
Profession	Chemist
Website	V N Rajasekharan Pillai

V. N. Rajasekharan Pillai (Template:Lang-Hindi1; born 20 October 1949) is the Vice-Chancellor of Somaiya Vidyavihar University and Provost of Somaiya Vidyavihar,Mumbai. Prof. Pillai concurrently serves as the Chancellor of the ICFAI University, Tripura. He was President of Mewar University, Chiittorgarh, Rajasthan, India (2016–2018). He is the Founder President of Human Development Foundation India, a Civil Society Organisation in the National Capital Region, New Delhi. He served as the Executive Vice-President of the Kerala State Council for Science, Technology and Environment, Govt of Kerala during the period 2011–2014. Simultaneously he held positions as the Principal Secretary, Science & Technology Dept of the Govt of Kerala, Chairman of the Kerala Coastal Zone Management Authority and the Kerala Biotechnology Commission. Prior to that Prof. Pillai was the Vice-Chancellor of the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), New Delhi (2006–2011) holding simultaneously the position of the Chairman, Distance Education Council, Govt of India. He served as Vice-Chairman & Chairman of the University Grants Commission, Govt of India, New Delhi during the period 2002–2006. He was the Executive Director of the National Assessment and Accreditaition Council (NAAC), Govt of India, during the period 2000–2002. Prior to that Prof. V. N. Rajasekharan Pillai was the Vice-Chancellor of the Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam, Govt of Kerala and held additional charge of the Cochin University of Science and Technology (1996–2000). In 2000 he was on a Visiting Research Professor assignment in the University of Lausanne, Switzerland. From 1983 to 1996 Dr. Pillai worked in various academic and research executive positions in the Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam such as the Founder Professor and Director of the School of Chemical Sciences, Dean of Faculty of Science, Founder Director of the School of Professional Distance Education, Director, College Development Council and Controller of Examinations of the University. During the period 1977–1983, Dr. Pillai worked as a Post-Doctoral Research Fellow, on deputation from Calicut University, Kerala, in the Universities of Tubigen and Mainz, Germany. From 1971 to 1983, he worked in the Universities of Kerala and Calicut University as UGC/CSIR Junor and Senior Research Fellow, Assistant Professor and Associate Professor in the area of Chemical Sciences. Professor Rajasekharan Pillai is an Elected Fellow of the Indian Academy of Sciences. Distinguished Fellow of the Kerala Academy of Sciences, and an Honorary Fellow of the Institution of Electronics and Telecommunication Engineers (IETE), New Delhi. He has been a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry and an Honorary Senior Fellow of the Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Banaglaore.

Role in higher education

Pillai's career has been spent in a variety of colleges and universities, in the fields of science and educational administration.

An active teacher and researcher in the field of Chemical Sciences, Pillai has held post-doctoral and visiting research professor positions in the University of Tübingen (Germany), Mainz, Germany and Lausanne (Switzerland). He created a research group in the area of biopolymers and peptides, has published extensively in this area, and has supervised over 50 doctoral students. He holds an International patent for the gram-scale preparation of biologically important peptides.

Academic and administrative positions

Pillai has served as the chairman and vice-chairman of the University Grants Commission (UGC), Director of the (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 cxaminations; 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.

National Seminar on Green Materials 2013

Pillai is scheduled to inaugurate the National Seminar on Green Materials 2013 on 27 February 2013. The seminar is billed as an event for young materials scientists to network and interact.

See also

• Somaiya Vidyavihar
• K.J. Somaiya College of Engineering