Prof Mahendra Pal Yadav was born in Village Surkhuroo, Dist. Bulandshahar, Uttar Pradesh, India on 2 June 1945 and was educated at B.R. College, Agra 1962-63; Veterinary College, Mathura, 1963-68; Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar, 1969-72 for B.V.Sc & AH 1966; M.V.Sc. 1968; Ph.D. 1973. He served as Professor, Virology, 1981-82, and Prof. & Head, Division of Virology, 1982-87, Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI), Mukteswar; Principal Scientist & In-charge Animal Health Unit, 1987-93, and Director, 1993-2000, National Research Centre on Equines, Hisar; Director, IVRI, Izatnagar, 2000-06; Vice-Chancellor, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Univ. of Agric. & Tech., Meerut, 2006-09.
Prof Yadav was awarded Chancellors Medal 1966: Lance Award, 61 Cavalry, India 1996; ICAR Special Award 1998; Major (Mrs.) Malika IAAVR Award 2001; OIE International Meritorious Award 2000; Distinguished Veterinarian Award 2002; Dr. P. Richard Masillamony Oration Award 2003; Vocational Education and Development Award 2003; Higher Education and Development International Award 2004; Swadeshi Vigyan Puruskar 2004 of Vigyan Bharati; UP Council of Science & Technology Vigyan Gaurav Award 2004-05; NRDC Meritorious Invention Award 2005; World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), Geneva Award 2005; Dr. C.M. Singh Samman 2005; IAVPH Life Time Achievement Award 2006; Eminence Award 2007 (Society for Plant Research); World Institution Building Programme Life Time Achievement Award, 2008; Lakhi Ram Memorial Award 2008; Lalbahadur Shashtri Honor 2008; Padma Vibhushan Dr. M.S. Swaminathan Agricultural Scientist Award 2009; Dr. P. G. Pandey Oration Award 2010 (IAVMI); Life Time Achievement Award, 2011 (ISACP); Dr. A. Lingard Memorial Award, 2012 by Indian Academy of Environmental Sciences; Dr. M.R. Dhanda Memorial Oration Award, 2012 (IAPH); Excellence in Virology Award- 2013 of Indian Virology Society(IVS); Prof. K. S. Bhagava Oration Award- 2016 (IVS). President, Indian Virological Society 1996-2003; President, IAVMI 1999 to date; President, IAUA 2006-07; President NAVS(I) 2011-13; FAO National Consultant; Consultant, Haryana Farmers Commission, 2010-13; Secretary, National Academy of Agricultural Sciences (2014-16). He remained Patron, SOCIETY FOR PLANT RESEARCH (Vegetos) from 2008 to 2017 and was the Founder Patron since 2018-2020. Prof Yadav is the Fellow; National Academy of Veterinary Sciences; Indian Association for Advancement of Veterinary Research; Indian Virological Society; Indian Society of Veterinary Immunology & Biotechnology; Society for Immunology & Immunopathology; Royal Society of Crop Sciences. Honorary Fellow Uttar Pradesh Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lucknow-2015.