Padma Shri Awardee, Dr. Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha, is an Ayurvedic doctor, served as the Vice Chancellor of Jamnagar-based Gujarat Ayurveda University during 2013-2016. He was appointed as Secretary of Ministry of AYUSH in the Government of India in July 2017. He did his Doctorate in Ayurveda Medicine (M.D. Ayurveda) from Gujarat Ayurveda in 1991. He has bagged many laurels and distinctions – Global Ayurveda Physician Award in 2007; Ayurveda Ratna Award in 2008 and Padmashri Award for Medicine in 2015, to name a few.

He has authored two books viz., Concept of Atattvabhinivesha in Ayurveda, which discusses minor psychiatric disorders within Ayurveda parameters and another, ‘A Beginner’s Guide to Ayurveda’, which details day-to-day life practices to remain healthy.