Lt Col Dr. Jagadish Khadilkar

Jagadish Khadilkar (Born on 17 September 1944) was a national scholar in his college career. He has to his credit two engineering degrees, a master’s in defence studies, a PhD in environmental studies and diplomas in a variety of subjects. After a short teaching stint in an engineering college, he served in the Indian Army for over twenty years. A graduate from the Indian Military Academy, Dehradun and later Defence Services Staff College, Wellington he enjoyed field and staff appointments in active service, war and insurgency. As a Major, he led an Army expedition in the Thar Desert. Later as a Lieutenant Colonel, he served as a leader and Station Commander of India’s first Antarctic Station Dakshin Gangotri during its dangerous, thrilling and last wintering before it had to be decommissioned due to snow burial. After premature retirement from the Army, he served in senior corporate positions in Saudi Arabia, Kenya and the US, for a number of years. On return to India, he served in a couple of educational institutions as Dean and Executive Director. He is the author of a major book ‘Antarctica-the Frozen Continent’s Environment, Changing Logistics and Relevance to India’ published by Bloomsbury. Settled in Pune, he writes and speaks on a variety of subjects. *Views are personal