Khadg Singh Valdiya

Khadg Singh Valdiya, a stalwart amongst Indian geoscientists is widely recognised and highly respected for his pioneering works on Himalayan geology and environment. Besides being a recipient of the highest Civilian Awards: Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan, he was the awardee of numerous prizes, awards, honours and fellowships [1]. His significant contributions to the stratigraphic, structural and tectonic evolution of the Himalaya laid the foundation for several ongoing studies in the Himalaya. Valdiya also made noteworthy contributions to the tectonic rejuvenation of the central Sahyadri mountains, and the origin and disappearance of the prehistoric Saraswati river in northwest India. Valdiya wielded enormous influence on the Indian geoscience academic community through the many books that were authored by him on Indian stratigraphy, Himalayan geology, the Saraswati river, neotectonics of the Indian sub-continent, and environmental geology.