Chief Minister  Pinarayi  Vijayan presented the Paristhithi Mithram Award for the best environmental researcher to Dr. Mahesh Mohan of Department of Environmental Sciences,  Mahatma Gandhi University,  Kottayam at the state-level inauguration ceremony of the Environment Day celebrations held in Thiruvananthapuram the other day. 

The award instituted by Department of Environment and Climate Change of the State Government comprises a plaque, certificate  and a cash prize of ₹ 1,00,000. 

Dr.  Mahesh  is the joint director of The International Centre for Polar Studies in the university. Focus areas of his research include  Arctic pollution, environmental regeneration, conservation of non-timber forest resources,  Miyawaki forestry, environmental management , environmental impact assessment and controlling mercury pollution. 

He is associated with UNDP in the activities related to the conservation of forests along the banks of the Chalakudy River; he  has been part of India’s Arctic expedition programme  since 2014. He also serves as the member of State Environmental Impact Assessment Authority and the green protocol nodal officer of the  M.G  University. 

Dr. Mahesh has written about 100 research papers and three books on environmental subjects.