Dr N Krishna Kumar IFS (Retd) joined Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) at Point Calimere Sanctuary as an Ornithologist in 1980. His passion for conservation led him to join the Indian Forest Service in 1982 where he served in a number of key field and higher appointments during 35 years of service. He retired as the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and Head of Forest Force of the State of Tamil Nadu in 2017. Post retirement, he served as Chairman, State Environment Impact Assessment Authority, Tamil Nadu (From May 2017 to August 2018).

Some of the key highlights of his distinguished service are: Director, Institute of Forest Genetics and Tree Breeding (IFGTB), Coimbatore; Country Co-ordinator, APFORGEN - strengthening forestry research in South-East Asian countries; Organizing an International Workshop on handling of FGRs; Preparing the first Country Report on the State of Forest Genetic Resources for submission to FAO for inclusion in State of Worlds Forest Genetic Resources; Chairman, Task force on Forestry Crops, PPVFRA, GoI; Member, Expert Committee on Agro biodiversity, National Biodiversity Authority (NBA), India; Member, The regulatory regime regarding felling and transit regulations for tree species grown on non-forests/ private lands, MoEFCC, GoI; Chairman, Research Advisory Committee, KFRI, Peechi; Senate member, Bharathiar University, Coimbatore; Board member, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore; Member, Research Advisory Committee, Central Sericulture Silk Board, Hosur; Member, 19th Plant Committee - Conducted a Non-detrimental finding (NDF) study for Red Sanders with scientists of IFGTB; Member of the Asia Pacific Association of Forestry Research Institutes (APAFRI) fostering relationship with Forest Research Institute, Malaysia (FRIM) and IFGTB; Member of Indian delegation to China represented the country for handling plantation and afforestation research from Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India in 2011; and Member, UPSC Selection Committee, 2018.

His key interests and expertise are in the fields of Forestry, Tree improvement, Forest Genetic Resources Management Network (FGRMN), Wildlife & Zoo Management, Leadership Roles in Research and Administration, Forest Law, Forest Administration, Community Forestry and Internal Linkages. He holds a Ph.D. in Zoology. He has published 23 papers, presented 62 Conference Papers, and authored/co-authored 25 Books in the fields of his expertise.

He is currently the Chairman, Environmental Impact Assessment Board, Government of Tamil Nadu; Chairman, Research Committee-Kerala Forest Research Institute, Peechi, Trichur; Member, Biodiversity Board Tamil Nadu; Trustee, Chennai Snake Park Trust, Guindy and President of the South India Chapter of Organization for Industrial Spiritual Cultural Advancement (OISCA), a Tokyo Based NGO that works on environment related sustainability programs in over 60 countries.

Prof. G. Jayachandra Reddy is the Director and Chairman, Board of Studies, UGC Centre for Southeast Asian and Pacific Studies, Sri Venkateswara University, Tirupati. His areas of research interests are regional geography, security, strategic and geopolitical issues of Southeast Asia and Pacific regions. He published 43 research papers and 16 books, besides participating in 63 national and international seminars. He was one of the members of the ICWA, New Delhi, delegation to Vietnam in 2017 and to Asia-New Zealand Foundation, Wellington in 2019; he was appointed as a founder member, Executive Council, Allahabad State University, Uttar Pradesh. He is the Editor-in-Chief, Asia-Pacific Journal of Social Sciences and Editor, Area Studies: A Journal International Studies and Analyses. He served as 'Visiting Research Associate' at Manila de Manila University, the Philippines, 2010 and also served as “Visiting Research Fellow” Research Institute for Oriental Cultures, Gakushuin University, Japan, 2012 and an Awardee of the Australia-India Council Fellowship (2012-13), Government of Australia. He served at the Vietnamese Institute for Indian and Southwest Asian Studies, Hanoi, as a Visiting Fellow (2015) and Visiting Scholar, China Foreign Affairs University, Beijing, (2018). He was an Awardee of Vietnam National Day Award-2018, Embassy of Vietnam, New Delhil; and Outstanding Faculty Award-2015, Venus International Foundation, Chennai. International Institute of Organized Research has conferred Editorial Excellence Award-2017 and Distinguished Researcher Award-2018. He is the founder Secretary, International Society for Asia Pacific Studies and the Association for Area Studies in India. Prof. Reddy has organized 9 international conferences apart from 3 workshop-cum-capacity building programmes and has been serving as a member in different committees at national and international level. He visited countries like Ethiopia, Dubai, Singapore, Thailand, Philippines, Taiwan, Japan, Australia, Vietnam and China.

Dr. Reddy, a faculty member in the Department of Geography & Environmental Studies at Mekelle University, Ethiopia (2003-07), was a Coordinator for the Post Graduation programme and the Principal Investigator of two successfully completed research projects as well as the Secretary of the Drafting Committee of the proposals, submitted to the World Bank, on Development and Innovative Fund for the faculty development and the GIS Laboratory. He also served on a committee of the Mekelle University Collaboration with the US Universities.

Adluri Subramanyam Raju is Professor in the Centre for South Asian Studies & Coordinator of the UGC Centre for Maritime Studies at Pondicherry University, Pondicherry. He was recipient of the Mahbub Ul Haq Award (Regional Centre for Strategic Studies (RCSS), Colombo, 2003); Scholar of Peace Award (WISCOMP, New Delhi, 2002) and Kodikara Award (RCSS, Colombo, 1998). He was Salzburg Seminar Fellow (2006). He received the National Best Teacher Award (C.V.S.Krishnamurthy Theja Charities, Tirupati, 2017) and Best Teacher Award twice (Pondicherry University, 2013 & 2018). He was a Visiting Fellow at the Bandaranaike Centre for International Studies, Colombo, May 2012. He is a member for Third Task Force on Blue Economy, FICCI, New Delhi. He is on editorial board for five journals. He has published 25 books and fifty papers; delivered fifty lectures and presented ninety papers at national and international seminars. His forthcoming publications include: Authored: Governance and Poverty in South Asia: A Study with reference to India, Bangladesh and Nepal; Emerging India from Maritime Perspective; & (Co-editor) BIMSTEC: Mapping Sub Regionalism in Asia. He is currently working on French Presence in the Western Indian Ocean Region, funded by the Indian Council of World Affairs, New Delhi.

Commodore SL Deshmukh, Nausena Medal (Retired), has served in the Indian Navy for 32 years. His educational qualifications include BE (Mech), MSc (Def Sc), PGDM (Gold Medallist). He holds a qualification both in Marine & Aviation fields. He served on-board ships & Aircraft carriers. He is specialist on the maintenance of Fighter aircraft and Anti Submarines Warfare Helicopters. He held many operational and administrative appointments including Principal Director at Naval HQ, Commodore Superintendent Naval Aircraft Yard, Director Naval Institute of Aeronautical Technology and Project Director of a major Naval Aviation Project. He is alumni of Defence Services Staff College (Wellington, Nilgiris).

Post-retirement from Indian Navy he worked with Tata Group for 5 years and is currently working with SUN Group‘s Aerospace & Defence vertical (at Gurgaon) as Senior Vice President. He has presented papers at various International Seminars. He is Life Member of Aeronautical Society of India.

He also works in the educational field in his spare time. He is an avid writer and writes on Technical matters & issues of common interest. His research papers and articles have been published by C3S India Chennai, DRaS and EJSSS.

Cdr (Prof) (Dr) Ashok Kumar Dua is a naval veteran and an educationist. During his service of over three decades in the Indian Navy, he has held several key appointments, both afloat and ashore, including deputations abroad. He is an alumnus of Defence Services Staff College, Wellington. After retirement from the Indian Navy, he served as Associate Professor at Krishna Institute of Engineering & Technology, Ghaziabad for almost a decade. He obtained his PhD in the area of Ethical Leadership from Aligarh Muslim University. An accredited management teacher of AIMA, he is also FIE, FIETE, MIMA, and LMISTE. He is a volunteer member of Baal Vikaas Bhaaratee and helps inculcate Universal Human Values among young and impressionable school children. He runs a blog http://mpower360.wordpress.com to empower young minds. Currently, as a Senior Fellow of Defence Research and Studies, he is associated with DRaS – Praghna Internship Program helping budding researchers develop their research skills.