Dharam Vir Singh Jain earned his BSc (Hons) and MSc (Chemistry) degrees from the University of Delhi. After spending a brief period at MB College, Udaipur as Lecturer in Chemistry, he joined the University of Southern California (1954). He earned his MS degree in Mathematics and simultaneously worked for his PhD degree, under the guidance of Sidney W Benson in Physical Chemistry. He returned to India in 1958 to join the Department of Chemistry, University of Delhi (1958-63), moving to the Department of Chemistry, Panjab University, Chandigarh as Reader (1963) and subsequently as Professor. In 1993 he was re-employed in the Department till 1996. He was Director (1985-87; 1992-95) of Regional Sophisticated Instrumentation Centre, INSA Senior Scientist (1996-2001) and presently he is Professor Emeritus and an INSA Honorary scientist all at Panjab University, Chandigarh.

Academic and Research Achievements: Professor Jain has worked in several areas of physical and theoretical chemistry. He established the first microcalorimetry laboratory in India and, along with his research collaborators, has developed microcalorimetrical techniques for applications to the problems of pharmaceutical interest. Presently his research work is focused on drug delivery, bio-availability, solubility, stability and polymorphism in drug molecules. He has published more than 150 research papers in international journals, written seven books and contributed in editing two books. He has mentored twenty-four PhD, twenty MPhil and thirty MSc students.

Other Contributions: Jain has been the Member and Chairman of the DST Programme Advisory Committee on physical chemistry, Chairman of the Research Councils of Central Salt & Marine Chemical Institute, Bhavnagar, NISCAIR, New Delhi, and RRL (CSIR), Jorhat. Jain has been the Member of the Publication Committee of IUPAC for eight years. He has been on the Editorial Board of a number of journals.

Awards and Honours: Professor Jain is a recipient of SR Palit Award, JC Ghosh Award, KSG Doss Award, RP Mitra Award, NRDC Republic Day Award, Silver Medal of CRSI, Platinum Jubilee Lecture of ISCA, and Jawaharlal Nehru Birth Centenary Lecturer of INSA (1999). He was Editor of INSA Publications (1987-90) and Secretary (1994-96).