GNO

1. Dr Kamal Taori, Patron

After serving at various positions in Government of India, Dr Taori retired as Secretary to the Government of India. He was born at Wardha on August 1, 1946. He decided to join Indian Army. After retiring from the Army, he joined Indian Administrative Service. Always willing to do something new, he played a very big role in self-employment of women through neem while serving as head of the Khadi and Village Industries Commission, Government of India, and Principal Secretary of Khadi and Village Industries Department, Government of Uttar Pradesh. He played an important role in promoting neem in Uttar Pradesh and India and getting it its due.

2. Dr UP Singh, President

Dr UP Singh retired from the post of Plant Pathologist from Banaras Hindu University. When the US got neem patented after defeating India, Dr Singh put forth India’s case in the patent court so forcefully that India won neem patent. Dr Singh has received several awards, including Neem Ratna Award, during his illustrious career. He has filed seven patents, five for human medicines and two for plant diseases. He has developed expertise on organic farming and bio-fungicides. He has widely travelled overseas and worked with top institutes in his area of specialisation. Several foreign scientists have also worked in his laboratory.

3. Dr HP Singh, Vice-president

He is head of the department of Mycology and Plant Pathology, Banaras Hindu University, and visiting professor at Cornell University and Illions University. He is fellow of prestigious National Academy of Agriculture Sciences, and also elected fellow of the Indian Phytopathological Scociety, Biotech Society of India and Society of Plant Reproductive Biologists. He is a member of DBT Task Force on Biofertilisers and Biopesticides for more than six years. He has written several books on neem and organic farming. He is a strong believer that progress can come through team work. He has demonstrated the ability to build and guide teams in teaching, research and administration.

4. Dr VK Singh, Chief Functionary

Dr VK Singh is chief functionary of Global Neem Organisation and NAVIC (National Association of Voluntary Association and Cooperation). By education he is a sociologist. He served with State Textile Corporation, Uttar Pradesh State Khadi and Village Industries Board and NGO Cell of Planning Commission, now Niti Ayog. He has travelled to many Asian countries including Taiwan, Thailand and Hong Kong. Around the year 2005 he emerged as a national level social worker. To protect environment, he was instrumental in plantation of over 40,000 plants, out of which 31,000 were that of neem. He was conferred Neem Ratna Award and several other awards.

5. Dr Afroz Ahmad, Advisor

Dr Afroz Ahmad is a member environment and rehabilitation of Narmada Control Authority, Government of India. Dr Ahmad is an internationally acclaimed environmental scientist and development administrator. The areas of his specialisation are environmental management, development administration, governance, capacity building, human resettlement and rehabilitation, sustainable development, environmental law, climate change, diplomacy, negotiations, conflict resolution, leadership, vigilance administration, etc. Dr Ahmad is a recipient of dozens of national and international honours and awards. He is a widely travelled person.

6. Dr Anil P Joshi, Advisor

Dr Anil P Joshi is head of the organisation Himalayan Environmental Studies and Conservation Organisation (HESCO), which he founded in the year 1983. Dr Joshi’s work is pervasive today in mountain villages. His total accomplishment revolve around two major approaches, viz., local need meet locally and ecology and economy must go together to ensure long term sustainability. As a teacher he guided many Ph D scholars and some of them joined him for his mission of rural upliftment. In his 35 years of social dedication, he has worked on mobilisation of community of different areas for their resource based economic development.