Dr Javed Mohammad Iqbal

Academic Biography

Dr. Javed Mohammad Iqbal serves as the Head and Senior Assistant Professor in the Department of Zoology at Government Degree College Drass. He holds a Master’s degree in Zoology from the University of Kashmir and an M.Phil./Ph.D. from Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. He is also the UT Nodal Officer for Skill Courses in Colleges Ladakh. Dr. Javed has served as a member of the UT Ladakh State Board for Wildlife and the Ladakh Biodiversity Council (2020–2024) and is professionally affiliated with several reputed national and international bodies, including the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Global Snow Leopard Network and Ethical Conservation Alliance. He is also a Mentor for the PPNV Europe Program, Salzburg Global (Austria) and a Member of the Board of Studies Zoology, University of Ladakh. In 2024, Dr. Javed was among 35 educators worldwide selected for a fellowship to attend the prestigious Nobel Prize Teacher Summit in Stockholm, Sweden, organized by the Nobel Foundation. Earlier, in 2014, he received the Young Connectors of the Future Fellowship from the Swedish Institute, Sweden, where he also earned a Diploma in Leadership. His enduring commitment to youth empowerment was further recognized in 2013 when the Union Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports and the Commonwealth Youth Programme Asia Centre presented him with a Certificate of Appreciation for his outstanding contribution to youth development. As an educator, Dr. Javed has pioneered innovative pedagogical practices such as the Annual Zoology Students’ Seminar and the Citizen Science Research and Biodiversity Mapping Initiative. The Annual Zoology Students’ Seminar aims to enhance students’ research aptitude, presentation skills, and subject expertise, and has been successfully organized every year since its inception. The Citizen Science and Biodiversity Mapping Initiative engages over a hundred students as field researchers, fostering hands-on learning, research and documentation skills. His leadership in implementing national education programs has been recognized by premier institutions such as the National Centre for Cell Science, IISER Pune and the Mahatma Gandhi National Council for Rural Education (MGNCRE), Ministry of Education, where he served as Mentor and Coordinator. In research, Dr. Javed has served as Principal Investigator for a project on Mapping Traditional Knowledge Systems awarded by TISS Mumbai (2025), and as Project Fellow for an Impact Assessment Study of NHPC CSR initiatives in Kargil under IIT Jammu (2024). Under his mentorship, the trainees at Ladakhi Craft Skill Centre won First Prize in the Y20 Ladakh Sustainable Challenge 2023. Dr Javed led his team at Department of Zoology GDC DRASS secure 2nd position at the national level Zoological Survey of India Hackathon 2026.