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.