Dr. Dayalal Pherumal Motiramoni

From 09-03-1981 to 23-02-1983

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Dr. Dayalal Pherumal Motiramoni joined Assam Agricultural University, Jorhat as Vice-Chancellor on March 9, 1981 and remained in the office till February 23, 1983. He was born on December 7, 1921 and grew up in the Sind province (now in Pakistan), where he studied up to Matriculation (1939) in K.C. Academy, Bhiria and received B.Sc.(Ag.) degree of the Bombay University from the Agricultural College, Sakrand. He earned Associateship of the IARI (Indian Agricultural Research Institute) in 1947 and M.Sc.(Ag.) degree of Agra University in 1965, both in Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry. He was awarded Ph.D in Agronomy by the University of Illinois (USA) in 1960.

Beginning his professional career as Research Assistant in the Agricultural College, Sakrand, Sind (May 1943 and September 1945) and at the IARI, New Delhi (December 1947 to October 1950), Dr. Motiramani moved to Madhya Pradesh, where he spent almost his entire life and held several positions, viz. Assistant Professor and later Professor at Agricultural College, Gwalior; Professor and Chairman of Department of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry, Principal and Director of Research Services at the Agricultural College/ J.N. Krishi Vishwa Vidyalaya, Jabalpur. In the same University, Dr. Motiramani had also served as Director of Instructions for a brief period in 1974. He was also with the Gujarat Agricultural University, as Research Scientist, between December 1979 and March 1981 before becoming the Vice-Chancellor of Assam Agricultural University, Jorhat, which he continued till February 1983. Afterwards he was consultant to the World Bank till his death. Dr. Motiramani was an active member of several professional societies and served the Indian Society of Soil Science as a Councillor and as a Vice-President, besides remaining as an active member till his last day.

During his four and a half decades of professional career, Dr. Motiramani contributed immensely in the areas of agricultural research, teaching and extension in soil fertility and water management. Works on improving the productivity of crops in heavy clay soils, agronomical and microbiological investigations on soybean and constraint analysis in agricultural productivity are among the outstanding contributions made by him. This great soul left for his heavenly abode on September 22, 1988.