Education, in the capacity of its chairman. U.N. ESCAP Regional Centre for Transfer of Technology Bangalore, started on 16 July 1977, owes its origin to the recommendations of this Expert Group. The next year, he was selected as the Under Secretary-General and Executive Director of the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat), headquartered in Nairobi. He also had the additional charge of the Administrator of the United Nations Habitat and Human Settlements Foundation. In 1993, Dr. Ramachandran retired from the UN. Ramachandran has participated, as the chairman or as a member, in various advisory and consultative committees under the Ministry of Non-conventional Energy Sources, the Ministry of Urban Affairs and the Department of Ocean Development. Legacy Arcot Ramachandran has made many contributions, both social and educational, during his academic and administrative careers. During his tenure as the Under Secretary General at the UN Centre for Human Settlements, he proposed the introduction of World Habitat Day, which was accepted, leading to observing the first Monday of every October as a special day to remind the world of sustainable progress with regard to environment. He was also instrumental in the proclamation of the year 1987 as the International Year of Shelter for the Homeless, as a part of the Global Strategy for Shelter for the year 1987. It was during his tenure, UN launched the Sustainable Cities Programme in 12 cities, in 1990. On the academic front, Ramachandran is the founder of a School of Research in Heat and Mass Transfer. He is reported to be successful in launching several programs in Mechanical Engineering, during his stint at the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore. Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, under his Directorship, is reported to have gained reputation as a Centre of Excellence. During this period, he founded the Indian Society of Heat and Mass Transfer of which he was the first President. He also opened the School of Heat Transfer and the School of Energy Research, under the umbrella of IIT Madras. He is also credited with organising the Regional Centre for Energy, Heat and Mass Transfer for Asia-Pacific. While he was the Government Secretary, Ramachandran implemented the first Science and Technology Plan, suggested by NCST. His efforts were also reported to be behind the establishment of National Remote Sensing Agency, in Hyderabad. He is also regarded as the architect of the National Program for Research and Development in Renewable