Anand Swarup Arya, Professor Emeritus of Earthquake Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee, is presently National Seismic Advisor, Gol-UNDP Disaster Risk Management Programme in the Ministry of Home Affairs and Chairman, Bureau of Indian Standards Committee, CED 39, on Earthquake Engineering Codes. During 2001-04, he worked as Seismic Advisor to the Gujrat State Management Authority where he played a key role in the post-earthquake reconstruction programme for ensuring the earthquake resistance in all new buidings and rehabilitation of damaged buildings based on his own R&D work. Dr. Arya joined the University of Roorkee as a Lecturer in Civil Engineering and rose to the post of Head of Earthquake Engineering and finally pro-Vice Chancellor, before taking retirement in 1989. He created international level research and design capabilities at the department of Earthquake Engineering and in various high level design organisations in the country such as Engineers India Limited, National Hydro Power Corporation, Bharat Heavy Electricals, Department of Atomic Energy, etc. Through international training programmes, has propagated earthquake engineering know-how in countries like Afghanistan, Nepal, Philippines, Iran, Macedonia and Japan. His book IAEE International Guideline on Earthquake Resistant Non- Engineered Construction has been translated into Spanish as well as Hindi for the free use of the world population! Born in a small town, Ambheta, district Saharanpur, U.P., in 1931, Dr. Arya had a brilliant academic record at the University of Roorkee (B.E., and M.E. Degrees) and Ph. D. at the University of Illinois, USA. He is a Fellow of the Indian National Science Academy and the National Academy of Engineering. He is the recipient of scores of awards which include the Khosla National Award 1980, ISET Jai Krishna Award 1982, FICCI Cash Award 1986, IE (I) National Design Award 1987 and the coveted United Nations DHA – Saskawa Disaster Prevention Award, 1997. He has been honoured with the Padamshree by the President of India.