Prof. R. C. Sobti’s association with academia – as a teaching assistant in 1974 to the Vice Chancellorship of one of the top ten universities in India – spans close to four decades. His contribution as a ground-breaking biotechnologist, skilled orator, efficient administrator and futuristic Vice-Chancellor has won him accolades at both the national and the international levels a fact recognized by the Government of India while honoring him with the Padma Shree in 2009.