Virander Singh Chauhan is an Indian scientist[1] and a Rhodes Scholar[2] working in the fields of genetic engineering and biotechnology.
[4][5][9] In 1979, Chauhan joined the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur as an Assistant Professor and returned to Delhi University in 1982 as the Reader of the Department of Chemistry.
[3][4][5][9] Resigning from the university, Chauhan joined the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), a non profit research organization under the aegis of United Nations Industrial Development Organization[11] as senior scientist and was entrusted the leadership of the workgroup involved in the research on Malaria.
He has been the member of the governing council of the MS Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF), the Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA), Chairman of governing board of the L V Prasad Eye Institute (LVPEI),[14] the International Clinical Epidemiology Network (INCLEN), the Inter-University Accelerator Centre (IUAC).
He has been a member of the executive councils of Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi and the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) for their Indo-US Vaccine Action Programme.
His many other national responsibilities include member of University Grants Commission (UGC)[12] for two terms, Acting Chairman of University Grants Commission (UGC) for one year (2017) as well as the Chairman of the Executive Council of the National Assessment and Accreditation Council[12] (NAAC), Government of India.
Chauhan was also the Chairman of the Academic Committee of the 7th pay Commission, Government of India and was responsible for major reforms both at the UGC and NAAC.
Virander Chauhan was the leader of the workgroup engaged in the development of a vaccine during his early years in the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology.
Virander Chauhan, a Rhodes Scholar of 1974 and a Fellow of the Academy of Sciences for the Developing World (TWAS),[4] received Dr. MOT Iyengar Memorial Award from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) in 1995.