Suresh Kumar Sinha received PhD (1962) from Agra University, PhD (1964) from University of Alberta, Canada and DSc (hc) from Pantnagar University.He was Professor of Eminence (1978-91), Director (1991-), Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), New Delhi; also Alf Hannaford Fellow, Waite Agricultural Research Institute, University of Adelaide, Australia (1976-77).

Academic and Research Achievements: Sinha’s studies related to: (i) glycine-serine interconversion and splitting of glycine to provide C2 of glycine which can become C3 of serine; (ii) cynogenic glucosides as determinants of the quality of Cassava (Tapioca), and mechanism of tuberization in Cassava; (iii) change from C4 to C3 photosynthesis in Sorghum after anthesis; (iv) physiological, biochemical and genetic basis of heterosis; (v) causes of poor yield in pulses and remedial measures; (vi) physiological mechanism of drought tolerance in crops — balance between productivity and stability; (vii) drought induced senescence; (viii) physiological basis of irrigation; and (ix) remote sensing for assessing crop condition.

Other Contributions: Sinha was on the Editorial boards of: Indian Journal of Agricultural Sciences, Field Crop Research, Climate Change, Indian Journal of Experimental Biology, Journal of Science & Technology, and Journal of Agricultural Science. He also served as Member of the Advisory Committee on Physiology and Biochemistry of drought resistance in Plants, IDRC, Canada; Scientific Panel on Physiology and Biochemistry, ICAR; Research Council, IARI; Research Advisory Council, CIMAP and NBRI, both at Lucknow; Man and Biosphere Committee, Department of Environment, Government of India; Scientific Committee of International Geosphere Biosphere Programme and of various scientific committees of CSIR, DST, UGC and ICAR, IITM, Pune, etc.; Chairman, Scientific Advisory Committee, GB Pant Himalayan Institute of Environment and Development; Co-Chairman, Agriculture and Forestry Section, IPCC Working Group II (WMO).

Awards and Honours: Professor Sinha was conferred the JJ Chinoy Gold Medal by Indian Society for Plant Physiology (1979); FICCI Award (1983); SM Sircar Memorial Award by Bengal Botanical Society (1984); VASVIK Award (1985); Om Prakash Basin Award (1988); Birbal Sahni Medal by Indian Botanical Society (1989); FIE Foundation Award (1992); Jawaharlal Nehru Birth Centenary Lecture Award by INSA (1993); and Sunder Lal Hora Medal by INSA (1993). He was elected Fellow of the Indian Academy of Sciences, Bangalore, National Academy of Sciences (India), Allahabad and National Academy of Agricultural Sciences, New Delhi.