Subbanna Ayyappan
About
Dr. S. Ayyappan is the Secretary of the Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE) of the Ministry of Agriculture of India. He is also Director General of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), where he worked previously as Deputy Director General of Fisheries.
From 2006 to 2008, Dr. Ayyappan served in the Ministry of Agriculture’s Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying, and Fisheries as Founder-Chief Executive of the National Fisheries Development Board. It is where he established the Board’s infrastructure and programs, including the Expert Group on Deep Sea Fisheries. He has chaired numerous committees, working groups, and task forces in India’s Ministry of Agriculture. This includes the Expert Committee for Development of Freshwater Aquaculture (2000-2001), the Working Group to formulate the Model Bill for Inland Fisheries and Aquaculture (2004), and the Task Force on Aquaculture and Marine Biotechnology (2006-2009).
He is a Fellow of National Academy of Agricultural Sciences, India; Society of Nature Conservators, India; Bioved Society, India; Inland Fisheries Society of India; Zoological Society of India; Association of Aquaculturists; National Institute of Ecology; Academy of Science, Engineering and Technology; Academy of Environmental Biology; Society of Biosciences; and ISEP Science Academy.
Dr. Ayyappan’s awards include Zahoor Qasim Gold Medal for the Society of Biosciences in India (1996-1997), Special ICAR Award (1997), ICAR Award for Team Research as the Team leader for significant contributions in fisheries (1997-1998), Zoological Society of India Gold Medal (1998), Recognition Award (Animal Sciences) of the National Academy of Agricultural Sciences in India (2001-2002), Dr. V.G. Jhingran Gold medal (2002), Prof. H.P.C. Shetty Award for Excellence in Fisheries Research and Development, Asian Fisheries Society, Indian Branch (2002), Dr. S.R. Bhargava Medal (2003), and Dr. S.L. Hora Gold Medal (2003).
Dr. Ayyappan holds a PhD from Bangalore University and a master’s degree in Fish Production and Management from the College of Fisheries in Mangalore. He has published extensively in areas of fisheries, limnology, and aquatic microbiology.