Prof. Gopal Nath Tiwari (G. N. Tiwari) hails from Sagarpali, Ballia, in the state of Uttar Pradesh, India. After completing his basic primary education from Ballia, he moved to Varanasi for higher education and completed his studies from Banaras Hindu University (BHU). Later, he joined IIT Delhi in the year 1977 under the mentorship of Padma Shri Prof. Mahendra Singh Sodha, who introduced Prof. Tiwari to solar energy research.

Prof. Tiwari was superannuated in June 2016. To his credit, he has published more than 700 research papers with h-index of 100 and supervised more than 100 Ph.D. students. After superannuation, he moved back to his hometown Ballia to implement the work done at IIT Delhi and provide basic education to nearby children through BERS PUBLIC SCHOOL. He has also established a "SODHA ENRGY RESEARCH PARK" at Margupur in Ballia (UP), to impart energy education to locals.