A senior scientist, Praful is putting all his efforts into using his expertise to improve the lives of local farmers and tribals.

Praful Chandra Bhatnagar is a Senior Scientist and Head at Vidya Bhawan Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Udaipur.

Praful was born and brought up in Udaipur. His entire education was done in Udaipur itself. He holds a degree in B.Sc (Agri.) and an M.Sc (Agri.) in Animal Production from MPUAT, Udaipur.

Praful talks about his career journey and says that he started as a training assistant with a salary of only fifty rupees. He has been working for the past three decades in this industry. He has worked on projects funded by national and international funding agencies. Additionally, he contributed to a variety of initiatives pertaining to animal husbandry and farmer education and training.

Speaking about the challenges of his life, Praful becomes emotional when he recalls his struggle, stating that he lost his father to cancer at the young age of thirteen. His father was the principal of a public school. He says it was difficult to deal with his father's early death, but the family overcame it thanks to his mother's courage and the close bond they shared.

When asked about his role models, Praful says he considers his father as a role model. According to him, his father was a man of integrity who taught the same principles to him and his brothers. His former directors, Dr. Hukumchand Sharda and Dr. Shantilal Mehta, who served as mentors to him, also influenced him a lot. He is also inspired by the visionary leadership of the Vidya Bhawan Society President, Ajay Mehta.

Describing his COVID experience, Praful says the pandemic cost him his brother-in-law, and it was a tough period for the entire family. On the bright side, he says, the pandemic allowed his eldest son to live with him and work from home for two years. He was able to construct his dream home during this time with the help of his children. Praful believes that in order to embrace the good experiences, one must put the bad ones behind them.

"Dedication and honesty are the two must-have traits that a person must possess for success," says Praful when sharing his success mantra. According to him, a leader must work to develop relationships rather than create discord.

Praful advises young people interested in a career in agriculture to be well-versed in the discipline, be ready to take on entrepreneurial challenges, and have a passion for working side by side with farmers.