Formation as an ecologist
Gadgil studied Biology at Fergusson College and completed his MSc in Zoology at the Institute of Science in 1965. He then earned a PhD at Harvard University, applying quantitative methods to questions in ecology and animal behaviour.
Building ecological science
After teaching briefly at Harvard, Gadgil returned to India and joined the Indian Institute of Science in 1973. He founded its Centre for Ecological Sciences in 1983 and helped establish ecology as a rigorous interdisciplinary field in India.
People and biodiversity
His work treated local communities as knowledgeable participants in conservation. He helped develop People's Biodiversity Registers, contributed to the Biological Diversity Act and wrote extensively on India's ecological history.
The Western Ghats
As chair of the Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel, Gadgil led a detailed assessment of one of the world's biodiversity hotspots and argued for planning shaped by science, transparency and local participation.