Dr. Ashok K. Patra: Director of the Indian Institute of Soil Science, Bhopal. He was a recipient of the prestigious INRA Fellowship (2001-2003) of the French Research Ministry to work on molecular soil ecology in N cycling at the CNRS-Claude Bernard Université Lyon, France. He has contributed more than 200 publications, which has been widely cited throughout the world. He was a faculty of Post Graduate School, IARI, New Delhi and actively involved in teaching and guiding of postgraduate students at IARI for 15 years (1999-2014). He is a recipient of several awards/recognitions and fellowships, namely: British Council TCT Award 1996; DBT Overseas Associateship Award 2008; FAI Dhiru Morarji Memorial Award, 2011; Bharat Jyoti Award, 2012; Rajiv Gandhi Excellence Award, 2012; ISSS Dr. G.S. Sekhon Memorial Lecture Award, 2012 of ISSS, New Delhi; Hooker of IARI (2013), New Delhi. Dr. Patra was Editor, Range Management and Agroforestry 1996-1998; Councillor, Indian Society of Soil Science (2005-2006); President (Delhi Chapter), Indian Society of Soil Science (2012-14); Member, Nature's Reader Panel (2009). He served as expert of several important committees and acted as reviewer for more than 25 international journals. Dr Patra is a Fellow of the National Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Indian Society of Soil Science and Range Management Society of India.