New Delhi, Jan. 8 -- Senior environmental scientist Madhav Gadgil has died at his residence in Pune, marking the passing of one of the most influential figures in the evolution of India's environmental thought and policy.

Madhav Dhananjaya Gadgil was a pioneering ecologist, academic, writer and public intellectual, widely regarded as a foundational voice in Indian environmentalism. He was the founder of the Centre for Ecological Sciences at the Indian Institute of Science, which emerged as one of the country's leading hubs for ecological research. Over several decades, Gadgil combined rigorous scientific work with a strong advocacy for decentralised, community-led environmental governance.

He was best known nationally for chairing the W...