| V. N. Rajasekharan Pillai | |
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| 6th Vice Chancellor of the Indira Gandhi National Open University |
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| In office 20 October, 2006 – 20 October, 2011 |
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| Chairman University Grants Commission |
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| In office 2005–2006 |
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| Preceded by | Arun Nigvekar |
| Succeeded by | S K Thorat |
| Vice Chairman University Grants Commission |
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| In office 2003–2005 |
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| Director of the National Assessment and Accreditation Council |
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| In office 19 April 2001 – 18 April 2003 |
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| Preceded by | Hari Gautam |
| Succeeded by | V S Prasad |
| Vice Chancellor of the Mahatma Gandhi University |
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| Vice Chancellor of the Cochin University |
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| Personal details | |
| Born | 20 October 1949 Cengannur, Kerala State, India |
| Spouse(s) | Geetha Pillai |
| Profession | Chemist |
| Religion | Hindu |
| Website | V N Rajasekharan Pillai |
V. N. Rajasekharan Pillai was the sixth Vice-Chancellor of the Indira Gandhi National Open University or IGNOU,[1] New Delhi and also by default, the Chairman of the Distance Education Council( DEC), which looks after the co-ordination of standards, quality, recognition and developmental assistance to all of the 13 State Open Universities, over 150 Distance Education Institutes in the Conventional Universities and in other private Open and Distance Learning institutions in the country.
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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 an internationally renowned 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.
Pillai has served as the Chairman and Vice-Chairman [2] of the University Grants Commission (UGC), Director of the (NAAC), [3] Bangalore, Vice-Chancellor of the Mahatma Gandhi University, [4] 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 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.
In January 2008, he received the Presidential Gold Medal of the Indian Science Congress from the Prime Minister of India. In 2007, he has been conferred the Triennial National M. V. Pylee Award for the Top Academician of India. In 2006, Pillai was recognized by the R.R. Varma Foundation Best Teacher Award. In 2005, he received the Indian Chemical Society Award for his life-long research achievements in the area of chemical sciences. In 1996, Pillai received the Materials Research Society of India Lecture Award. His contributions to science and education have also been recognized by the conferment of honorary doctorates. Widely traveled all over the world, Pillai has presented papers, given invited and plenary lectures, chaired sessions in a large number of National and International conferences, delivered Convocation Addresses, Endowment Lectures and Special Orations in a large number of Universities and institutions. He has hosted several National and International discussions meetings including Indian Academy of Sciences Annual Meeting and Vice-Chancellors Conferences. 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, Bangalore.
With his joining of the Indira Gandhi National Open University, he has led the University to scale new heights and has nearly doubled the number of academic programs on offer by signing numerous Memorandum of Understandings (MoU) with the Nation's top and most prestigious companies, associations, and institutes.
Under his leadership, IGNOU created many milestones. The University saw the largest ever expansion under his leadership with several new schools having been created in order to meet with the need for Vocation Training in a robust economy like India.
In 2011, he worked continuously to see the establishment of Indian Sign Language Research and Training Centre, the first of its kind in India.
In addition to this, Prof. Pillai successfully established the South Zone Campus in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala which would cater to the needs of the students in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala Andhra Pradesh and Andaman & Nicobar Islands and Lakshwadeep.
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