Renowned ecologist Madhav Gadgil, a Padma Bhushan recipient and founder of the Centre for Ecological Sciences at IISc, has passed away at 83 after a brief illness. Celebrated for his pioneering work on the Western Ghats and advocating for community-centered conservation, Gadgil chaired the Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel. His 2011 report, though controversial, warned of ecological disasters from unchecked development, a foresight later validated by natural calamities. He is remembered as a "people's scientist" and a lifelong crusader for ecological balance.