Dr. V Balakrishnan
Member Secretary

Dr. V. Balakrishnan is a distinguished police officer and the current Member Secretary of the Kerala State Biodiversity Board (KSBB). He began his research career at the Community Agrobiodiversity Centre of the M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF), where he made significant contributions to biodiversity conservation and policy formulation, focusing on the sustainable utilization and equitable sharing of biological resources, as outlined in the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). Dr. Balakrishnan was awarded a Ph.D. from Madras University in 2010 for his pioneering work on the “Genetic Diversity of Wild Edible Yams of the Southern Western Ghats,” under the mentorship of the renowned agricultural scientist and father of the Indian Green Revolution, Bharath Ratna Professor Dr. M.S. Swaminathan. A prolific researcher, Dr. Balakrishnan has published numerous papers in national and international journals, contributing extensively to the fields of agrobiodiversity, environmental law, and policy research. In recognition of his substantial contributions to biodiversity conservation, scientists named a rare species of plant Tylophora balakrishnanii in his honor. Throughout his career, Dr. Balakrishnan has been instrumental in establishing Biodiversity Management Committees (BMCs) and People’s Biodiversity Registers (PBRs) across all local self-governments in Kerala, strengthening the state’s efforts in community-based biodiversity conservation. His recent work includes books on traditional seed diversity, rare and endangered species of the Western Ghats, and environmental laws. Dr. Balakrishnan also played a pivotal role in the “Rebuild Kerala Initiative,” leading projects on the rejuvenation of the Pamba River, the promotion of tradable bioresources of Kerala, conservation of rare and endangered species (RET species), and the enhancement of agrobiodiversity through custodian farmers. As a conservation researcher and policy advocate, he continues to focus on environmental law, agrobiodiversity conservation, and sustainable policy research.