Bharat Chattoo is a professor in the department of microbiology and biotechnology centre, MS University of Baroda, coordinator of the Biotechnology Programme and director of the Centre for Genome Research. He is the founder vice chancellor of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University. He obtained his PhD from the University of Delhi. Subsequently, he worked at the University of Rochester Medical Centre and has been a visiting scientist/professor at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel, National Institute of Bioscience and Human Technology, Rice Genome Programme in Tsukuba, Japan, and Ciba-Geigy in Basle. He was a staff scientist at the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Hyderabad, and also worked at the Friedrich Miescher Institute, Basle. He serves on several committees of the Government of India and Gujarat state and has published extensively.

Narayan is the Thomas Dudley Cabot Professor of the Natural Sciences at Harvard Univ., U.S.A. He obtained his PhD in 1979 at Bangalore Univ., India. He has made numerous contributions in many areas of astrophysics, notably in the field of black holes. His work spans theory, observations, and numerical simulations. His membership includes: Royal Society (London); National Academy of Sciences (USA); American Association for the Advancement of Science; and Honorary Fellowship of the Indian Academy of Sciences.

Director, Natl. Inst. of Advanced Studies, Bangalore. Played a key leadership role to help India achieve a pre-eminent position in fast breeder nuclear reactors with closed fuel cycles. His tenure as Director of Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research (IGCAR), provided exceptional leadership for India in clean, critical and strategic technology. His contributions as Pres. of Indian Natl.Acad of Engg. have been recognized by the engineering profession as being visionary and impactful. Deep and effective engagement in areas ranging from cultural heritage to medical technology to education. He has authored over 1100 research papers in peer reviewed journals and wrote over 70 books and special journal volumes. He has also the rare distinction of being a Fellow of all the four Science and Engineering Academies in the country. He has been the Pres. Indian National Acad. of Engineering, Intl.Coun