V. N. Rajasekharan Pillai

V. N. Rajasekharan Pillai വി.എൻ. രാജശേഖരൻ പിള്ള
6th Vice Chancellor of the Indira Gandhi National Open University
In office 20 October 2006 – 20 October 2011
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(s)	Geetha Pillai
Profession	Chemist
Religion	Hindu
Website	V N Rajasekharan Pillai

V. N. Rajasekharan Pillai (Malayalam: വി.എൻ. രാജശേഖരൻ പിള്ള; born 20 October 1949) 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.

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 ^[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.

National Seminar on Green Materials 2013

Prof. V. N. Rajasekharan Pillai is scheduled to inaugurate the National Seminar on Green Materials 2013 on 27th Feb 2013.^[5] The seminar is billed as an event for young materials scientists to network and interact.

References