Dr. Shri Dhar is a distinguished academician and agricultural scientist with more than 40 years of professional, research and academic experience in vegetable crop improvement, vegetable breeding, genetics, molecular marker-assisted research, seed production and protected cultivation. He has held several senior positions in premier agricultural institutions, including Dean, College of Horticulture, Central Agricultural University (Imphal), Mizoram (2022–2025) and Principal Scientist/Professor at ICAR–Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), New Delhi (2006–2022). Earlier, he served as Scientist/Senior Scientist at ICAR– Vivekananda Parvatiya Krishi Anusandhan Sansthan (VPKAS), Almora (1991–2006) and as Scientist at ICAR–Central Agricultural Research Institute (CARI), Port Blair, Andaman & Nicobar Islands (1986–1991).

Research & Scientific Contributions

Dr. Shri Dhar has made substantial contributions to vegetable crop improvement through conventional breeding, genetic enhancement and protected cultivation technologies. He has developed and released 30 varieties across 11 vegetable crops of National & regional importance, including garden pea, tomato, dolichos bean, muskmelon, French bean, capsicum, onion, garlic, okra, broad bean, and cowpea. This varietal portfolio demonstrates the breadth of his breeding programme and his sustained contribution to genetic improvement across a diverse range of vegetable crops with particular emphasis on developing superior genotypes possessing disease resistance and desirable horticultural traits. Notably, six varieties developed under his research programme were utilized as National Checks in All India Coordinated Research Project (AICRP) programmes, demonstrating their relevance in coordinated national-level varietal evaluation and research programme.

His research integrating conventional breeding with modern molecular approaches has contributed to the identification of molecular markers associated with disease resistance to Fusarium wilt and powdery mildew in garden pea, including Y15_999Fw, ISSR812, and SSR 335. He also contributed to the introduction and introgression of Er3 powdery mildew resistance gene into garden pea breeding lines, and thereby strengthening the genetic resources for future varietal improvement disease resistance breeding.

Academic Leadership & Institutional Development

Beyond his research accomplishments, Dr. Shri Dhar has demonstrated significant leadership in academic administration, institutional governance & coordination, curriculum development, infrastructure development, and expansion of postgraduate academic programmes. During his tenure as Dean, he contributed to the advancement of horticultural education, research and institutional development.

His academic and professional responsibilities have also included contribution to Boards of Studies, selection committees of Central Universities, advisory bodies, and various inter-institutional academic and scientific decision-making forums. His career thus reflects not only individual research accomplishments but also sustained contribution to the development, administration and strengthening of horticultural education and scientific institutions.

Technology Extension & Capacity Building

An important dimension of Dr. Shri Dhar's contribution has been the translation of research outputs into seed production, technology dissemination, training and capacity building. He produced approximately 270 kg of nucleus seed, along with Truthfully Labelled (TL) seed, supporting subsequent multiplication through the seed chain and facilitating the dissemination and utilization of improved genetic material through extension and outreach programmes.

He has also organized and contributed to 15 regional/national training programmes and a Winter School on Protected cultivation technology, supporting capacity building among researchers, professionals, and other stakeholders. These programmes contributed to the dissemination of improved varieties, production technologies and scientific knowledge related to protected cultivation and vegetable production.

Awards, Fellowships & Professional Recognition

Dr. Shri Dhar's professional and scientific contributions have been recognized through several competitive fellowships, awards and professional honours. These include the ICAR Junior Research Fellowship (1981–82), Netherlands Government Fellowships (1995 and 2001), and the Dr. Kirti Singh Gold Medal (2018) awarded by the Horticulture Society of India (now renamed, Indian Academy of Horticultural Sciences). He was elected Fellow of the Hill Horticulture Development Society (2004), The Horticulture Society of India (2015), and Indian Society of Vegetable Science (2017). His research contributions have also received Best Paper Awards from professional scientific societies, including the Horticulture Society of India, the International Society of Agronomy, and the Indian Society of Vegetable Science.

Scholarly Publications & Books

Dr. Shri Dhar has an extensive scholarly record comprising 188 publications, including 68 research papers, 56 conference abstracts, 25 book chapters, 15 popular articles, 13 extension leaflets, 4 books, and 2 bulletins. His books cover diverse areas of horticultural science, including lesser-cultivated vegetables, objective horticulture, sustainable natural and organic farming, and Butterflies of Mizoram, reflecting his broader academic interests and contributions to horticultural science, natural-resource documentation and biodiversity studies.

International Academic and Professional Exposure

Dr. Shri Dhar has gained international academic and professional exposure through specialized training programmes and fellowships in The Netherlands, Thailand, and Finland. His international training includes applied plant breeding at Wageningen, The Netherlands, and integrated quality management at Chiang Mai, Thailand. He also participated in an Executive Dean's Delegation to Tampere University, Finland for exploring collaboration opportunities in academic and research. These engagements reflect his exposure to international approaches in agricultural education, research, technology development and institutional collaboration.

Eligibility for Outstanding Scientist Award 

Dr. Shri Dhar demonstrates strong credentials for the Outstanding Scientist Award in Scientific Laurels, based on his more than four decades of scientific and academic service, development of 30 vegetable varieties, contribution to molecular breeding and disease resistance research, extensive publication record of 188 scholarly works, seed-production achievements, national-level varietal contributions, professional fellowships, competitive awards, international training, and sustained leadership in agricultural education and institutional development. His contributions to vegetable crop improvement, disease resistance, protected cultivation, and agricultural technology transfer represent a substantial body of work in horticultural science.

Accordingly, Dr. Shri Dhar is eligible to be considered for the Outstanding Scientist Award in Scientific Laurels.