Prof M. Udayakumar: Born in Guntur, Andhra Pradesh, India, Prof. Udayakumar studied in Majeti Guravaiah High School (Guntur), B.Sc (Andhra University), M.Sc (Moscow University), and obtained Ph.D. (1971) from the Academy of Sciences, USSR. He joined the University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore (1973). He worked there as Professor and Head of the Department of Crop Physiology and INSA Senior Scientist (1973-2021). He was also a Visiting Professor at Wageningen Agriculture University, Netherlands. He made significant contributions in research related to photosynthesis, abiotic stress tolerance, transgenic crop development, phenomics, and genomics of essential crops. An inspiring teacher, Prof Udayakumar, guided and mentored the scores of students. As Chairman and member of the Review Committee on Genetic Manipulation (RCGM; DBT) and Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC, MoEF), he was instrumental in formulating the policies of GMO reg...