The Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU) had its genesis from establishment of an Agricultural School at Saidapet, Madras, Tamil Nadu, as early as 1868 and it was later relocated at Coimbatore.
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Vice-Chancellor
Dr. V. GEETHALAKSHMI
Vice-Chancellor
Tamil Nadu Agricultural University
The fourteenth Vice-Chancellor of this prestigious University Dr. Geethalakshmi Vellingiri, a specialist in Agricultural Meteorology and an internationally acclaimed climatologist, served in Tamil Nadu Agricultural University for more than 32 years in various capacities including Professor and Head, Agro Climate Research Centre and Director, Crop Management. Dr. V. Geethalakshmi acquired agricultural education in TNAU and had undergone Post Doctoral trainings in the fields of weather forecasting, climate modeling, climate change and climate resilient technological development in the renowned International Institutes of Australia, UK, US, Israel and in Japan.
Her rich experience facilitated in developing climate weather modules. She has been instrumental in establishing Agro Climate Research Centre at TNAU and Ph.D programmes in Agricultural Meteorology. She guided 20 Post Graduate, 17 Doctoral and 4 Post Doctoral Fellows. Dr. V. Geethalakshmi has established research collaborations with 40 premiere Institutions across five continents in the Globe, successfully completed 23 external agency funded research projects worth Rs. 59 crores, developed eight management technologies and published >120 research papers in peer reviewed journals, authored 11 books and 36 book chapters.
Through her concerted initiative, University signed strategic MoU with leading International and National institutes for fostering education and research. She has created State-of-Art high end research facilities, provided educational fellowship to 42 students and generated employment opportunities for more than 60 research scholars.
She had been the key player in developing customized weather based agro advisory services for farm decisions. She has developed adaptation tool-box and technologies for mitigating climate-change impacts in varied agro climatic zones. She developed Weather Based Crop Insurance Scheme (WBCIS) protocols and pilot tested in 14 districts of Tamil Nadu. She supported the University through IMD-MoA-GoI Crop yield forecast (FASAL) programme and responsible for launching community restoration programme to reclaim agriculture in Tsunami-affected Nagapattinam. She imparted technical skills to >10,000 farmers, >500 scientists, >250 Irrigation Engineers on climate-change adaptation and upscaled climate smart technologies in >6000 hectares in Ponnaniyar-basin, Trichy and Kalingarayan basin, Erode, Tamil Nadu and paved way for Doubling Farmers Income (DFI). She had been instrumental in establishing climate crop modelling team in TNAU for undertaking Regional Integrated Assessment of Climate Change Impact on Agriculture sector, a path breaking phenomena.
She has been conferred with “Fellow of Agrometeorology” award by the Association of Agrometeorology. She has contributed technically for developing the Tamil Nadu State Action Plan on Climate Change. She has presented “Tamil Nadu-Drought policy” in High Level Meeting on National Drought Policy (HMNDP) at WMO, Geneva. She served as co-chair for developing DST Science Technology Innovation Policy 2020: TG02 – (Agriculture, water, food security), acted as a member in TG20 – (Sustainable technologies), served as an International Expert in CAgM (Commission on Agricultural Meteorology) and as a National Expert for DST MoEF and SERB. She serves as a member in the RAC of CRIDA, Hyderabad and in IFGTB, Coimbatore. She is a UGC nominee as governing body member for Quiad-E-Millath College, Chennai. She bagged 21 awards and recognitions including Science City’s Best Women Scientist award, DST award for Women’s development; Sakthi Media award; Harith Kranti Award (2020), etc.,
