India, Jan. 8 -- Renowned Indian ecologist Madhav Gadgil passed away at his residence in Pune late on Wednesday, January 7, 2026, after a brief illness. He was 82, his son Siddhartha Gadgil confirmed on Thursday, January 8.

According to sources, Gadgilbreathed his last late Wednesday night at a hospital in Pune. He played a pioneering rolein India's ecological research and conservation policy, leaving a lasting legacy in environmental science.

Madhav Dhananjaya Gadgil was a prominent ecologist, academic, writer, and columnist. He founded the Centre for Ecological Sciences at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, and served on the Scientific Advisory Council to the Prime Minister of India. In 2010, he chaired the Western Gha...