Padmakar Ramachandra Dubhashi is an Indian civil servant, administrator, author, social scientist and academician, known for his administrative and academic abilities. He was a pioneer of Cooperative movement and was instrumental in housing the Goa University in a new campus, a feat he accomplished during his tenure as the Vice-Chancellor of the University. The Government of India honoured him, in 2010, with Padma Bhushan, the third highest civilian award, for his services to the nation. He was born on 7 March 1930 in Karwar, Karnataka, India. In 1946, he stood first in matriculation examination conducted by Bombay University, in the entire Bombay province which then included Maharashtra, Gujarat and Karnataka territories winning many prizes and scholarships. He obtained M.A. of Pune University, standing first in first class. He later was awarded Ph.D. by Pune University and D.Litt. by Bombay University. He was also awarded Post Graduate Diploma in Economic and Social Administration by the famous London School of Economics, where he studied as British Council Scholar and where also he stood first.

He headed and served many expert groups and committees appointed by Government of India. He was also a consultant to IFAD and Asian Development Bank and gave reports on many countries including Nepal, Burma (now Myanmar), Sri Lanka, Philippines, Malaysia and Tonga. He has authored twenty one books in English and six books in Marathi and numerous articles, both in English and Marathi in several leading journals and newspapers on a variety of subjects covering economics and planing, politics and public administration, rural developoment and co-operative, education and social issues.