Dr. Tarun Kant, Ph.D. (Botany), is presently acting as the Director, ICFRE-AFRI, Jodhpur. He is a Scientist G specializing in Forestry Biotechnology and Molecular Genetics. His work areas include Functional Genomics and Bioinformatics, Tissue Culture, and Genetic Transformation. He has published around 50 research papers in reputed journals and several book chapters. He has also edited 2 books. He has also edited 2 books. He has been awarded the ‘Rockefeller Foundation’s Ph.D. Dissertation Research Fellowship’ in 1997; ‘Biotechnology Overseas Associateship’ by Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Government of India in 2003-04 for pursuing Post Doctoral Research at University of Cambridge, UK, England; the prestigious Indian Botanical Society instituted ‘Professor Y.S. Murthy Gold Medal’ in 2006; and the ‘B.P. Pal Memorial Gold Medal’ of ISCA in 2016. He represented India at the UNCCD COP16 held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia as a member of the Indian delegation. He is also a member of the NITI Ayog’s Standing Consultative Committee on ‘Ease of Doing Research and Development’ in India