Dr. R. K. Mittal took over as Vice Chancellor of Rajendra Agricultural University, Pusa, Bihar on May 14, 2012. Before that he was Assistant Director General (Education Quality Assurance & Reforms) at ICAR, New Delhi since August 01, 2007. During this period, he also worked as Acting Assistant Director General (Education Planning and Development) and Acting Assistant Director General (Technical Coordination) at ICAR, New Delhi at different times. Prior to that, he served as scientist at ICAR Headquarters, New Delhi; Vivekananda Parvatiya Krishi Anusandhan Sansthan (VPKAS), ICAR, Almora and the Botanical Survey of India, Kolkata.

Dr. Mittal is recognized for his contribution in the development and implementation of policies and programs for improvement of quality and relevance of higher agricultural education in the country. He has made notable contribution in a ccreditation of 23 agricultural universities; development of quantifiable parameters for accreditation and addressing issues related to governance, personnel and financial policies for the AUs; restructuring of course curricula and syllabi of all post-graduate (master’s and doctoral) programs; implementation of the revised norms, standards, academic regulations and UG course curricula and syllabi developed by the IV Deans’ Committee; revision of ICAR Model Act for Agricultural Universities; development, implementation and monitoring a mega project “ Modernization of AU Farms”; starting and implementing the first ever ICAR International Fellowships in agriculture; extending ICAR financial support to the SAUs and CUs with Agriculture faculty; developing and processing the proposals for establishment of new Central Agricultural Universities; implementation of the Indo-US Agricultural Knowledge Initiative (AKI); India-ASEAN cooperation in agriculture; India-Africa cooperation including India- Africa Fellowship Program; India- Afghanistan Fellowship Program; development of the Experiential Learning course details for UG curriculum, National Agricultural Education Project and the National Policy for Higher Agricultural Education in India. He also worked as Member Secretary of the Planning Commission’s two sub-groups for XII Plan on- (i) Higher Education and, (ii) Institutional Linkages and Technology Commercialization, and as Member of MHRD Task Force on Survey of Higher education in India and represented ICAR in various inter-departmental committees/meetings.

Dr. Mittal has made significant research contribution in the field and seed pathology of pulse and oilseed crops in the N.W. Hills, seed pathology of forest tree species, and mycorrhiza and contributed over 100 publications, several of which are in high repute, national and international, journals. Extensive contribution is made in development of four improved crop varieties for NW hills, in identification of important diseases and their chemical and cultural management in NW hills, and in establishment of characteristics of tree seed pathogens and their management during harvesting and storage. Also, contributed in transfer of improved technology to the farmers of Almora district of Uttarakhand through the Institution Village Linkage Program.

He has worked on international research assignments for three years as NSERC Visiting Fellow in Canada, and for one year as Visiting Scientist in Denmark, and has travelled to 10 countries in different capacities. He has been President of the Indian Society of Mycology and Plant Pathology (2009-10), Zonal President of two scientific societies (IPS, ISMPP), Fellow of four scientific societies (IPS, ISMPP, IMS, ISST) and was member of the International Seed Testing Association (ISTA) Forest Tree Seed and Shrub Committee, Switzerland and the American Phytopathological Society, USA; and was awarded the Prof. H.K. Barua Memorial Lecture Award (2006) by the Indian Mycological Society, Kolkata.