You are visiting a web page of VISHWAS CHAVAN. Administrator and Project Leader of the "Indian National Oceanographic Internet Server (INOIS)", Vishwas works as Information Officer at the National Institute of Oceanography (NIO), Goa since 21 Nov. 1991.

Since his recruitment in NIO, Goa, Vishwas is working on "Marine Bioinformatics" and looking after the day-to-day affairs of the Bioinformatics Centre. Bioinformatics Centre at NIO, Goa is the integral part of the "Biotechnology Information System Network (BTISNET)" of the Department of Biotechnology (DBT). Aim at documenting the marine and coastal biodiversity of Indian seas, Bioinformatics Centre are developing multimedia cum relational databases entitled,"NIO's Databases on Marine Life of India (NIODMLI)" Realising the diminishing expertise in taxonomy, Centre is aiming at developing Computer Aided Taxonomic Identification System (CATIS) for marine biota.

Vishwas has served on may institutional commitees such as Local Area Network Commitee and Computers Application Commitee (CAC) as their Secretary. Apart from this he has been chosen as members of many other commitees within and outside NIO. His initiative and efforts in spread of INTERNET has earned him a nomination in Goa Internet Board (GIB), a regulatory body of the Goa Internet Community (GIC). He was also member of the CSIR's task group on Information Products for the IX Plan which drafted CSIR's Information Technology related plans for the period 1997-2000. Vishwas is currently on the planning committee of the Ministry of Environment & Forest (MOEF) for nation-wide "Biodiversity Information Network (Bionet-India)". Vishwas is also a member of the sub-group on Taxonomic Databases for higher plants.

Graduated in Zoology from the Nowrosjee Wadia College, Pune, Vishwas holds Master's Degree in Environmental Sciences from University of Pune. Brought up and educated in Pune, an educational capital of India, Vishwas completed his schooling from the New English School Ramanbag, a school founded by great freedom fighter of the nation Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak.

During his school and college days, Vishwas achieved fame and success in athletics (cross country and long distance events) and debating as well as elocution. He wrote few poems in Marathi and has worked on All India Radio, Pune as Announcer and Commentator prior to his present incumbment. His hobbies are making friends, travelling, trekking, internet and socialising.

Elder son of Mr.&Mrs. Shravan and Narmada Chavan, Vishwas was born on 14th October 1966 at Buldhana in Maharashtra. His younger brother Mr. Vivek is a practising lawyer and politician in Pune. His lone sister Ms. Vanita is in her final year of law. His youngest brother Mr. Vinay is persuing his graduation in Science from MES College, Ponda in Goa itself.

His wife Pradnya too is Junior Research Fellow (JRF) at the National Institute of Oceanography. Master's degree holder from University of Pune, Pradnya is working on the topic "Salinity variations in Mandovi-Zuari Estuarine System" under the guidance of Dr. Satish Shetye.

Mail him at : vishwas@darya.nio.org