Jitendra Jatashankar Rawal is astrophysicist and scientific educator, recognized for his work in the popularisation of science. He has served as Director of the Nehru Planetarium Mumbai. He has published about 25 research papers in national and international scientific journals, and is the president of The Indian Planetary Society.

He has received M.Sc degree(Applied Mathematics), M.Sc (Pure Mathematics from University of Mumbai. M.Phil with distinction from University of Calcutta, through Satyendra Bose Institute of Physical Science. PhD from University of Mumbai through TIFR in Astrophysics.

He is a recipient of Shri Munubhai Mehta Award and prestigious Marathi Vigyan Parishad’s. Smt. Manoramabai Apte Award, Award for Science writing by Govt. of Gujarat, Gujarat. Ratna Award, and several other prestigious awards. He has received Nation’s prestigious award for science popularization in the country given by Department of Science and Technology, Government of India at the hands of the then Minister of Science and Technology, Government of India. He was honoured for his discoveries in the Solar System by Marathi Vigyan Mahasangh and Marathi Vigyan Parishad combined at the hands of Professor B. M. Udgaonkar, very senior and respected Professor of TIFR.

He has been given Civil Honour by Corporation of Greater Mumbai, Corporations of Rajkot, Halvad and Bhuj for his contribution in research in the field of science. He won the UGC School of Einstein Theory of Relativity Award which was held at Kolhapur in 1982. He has received Awards from various Organizations like Amrita, Saurashtra Education Foundation and like. He has received Aryabhata Award from All India Ramanujan Mathematics Club.

He has been honoured by Shri Narendrabhai Modi, Hon'ble Chief Minister of Gujarat on the eve of Republic Day 26th January 2010.

Dr. Rawal was felicitated by Halvad Yuvak Mandal for his contribution in Astronomy on April 24, 2012. Dr. Rawal was honoured by citizens of Mota Devalia by Purushattam Rupala, National Vice

President of Bhartiya Janta Party and Pujya Apurva Swamy of BAPS on 16th February, 2013. Dr. Rawal is a Fellow of Gujarat Academy of Science and also a member of American

Astronomical Society and National Academy of Science of India and several other scientific societies. He is also a Visiting Professor in the Department of Physics, University of Mumbai for the past 14 years teaching Astrophysics in the second year of M. Sc.. In connection withInternational Conferences and Short Visiting Fellowships and Professorships, he has visitedUSA, Japan, Germany, Australia, South Korea, Iran, Austria, Czechoslovakia Malaysia several times. He is Hindi Kovid, Sanskrit Bhushan, Sanskrit Kovid and has Diploma in German Language.

Dr. Rawal was invited as the Visiting Professor by the University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia for one month in September, 2012. He has been invited to be the Visiting. Professor for two years in the University of Malaya. Dr. Rawal is the Founder President of the Indian Planetary Society and he is heading the Society in its endeavor to popularize Astronomy and allied subjects and to carry out research in these fields, and under his Presidentship the Society has received two very prestigious awards (1) National Awards for Society’s scientific activities in the year 2005 given by Department of Science and Technology, Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of India .

Dr. Rawal has interest in music, singing, drawing, reading, art, history, philosophy and travelling.