BOARD MEMBERS
Dr Sulagna Chattopadhyay
Sulagna Chattopadhyay (PhD) has been working for 27 years in climate change, polar studies, disaster management, and biodiversity. She founded LIGHTS (Learning in Geography, Humanities, Technology and Science), an educational NGO in 2003. Under the aegis of LIGHTS, she founded G’nY (Geography and You), an ISSN and RNI accredited journo-mag focusing on climate change, development and the environment in particular, completing 150 issues; and SaGAA (Science and Geopolitics of Arctic and Antarctic) a Delhi based think tank that works on the policy and advocacy of Polar and mountain issues. Dr Sulagna has been involved in various research and outreach programmes and has co-authored two books—Climate Change and The White World; Science and Geopolitics of The White World: Arctic-Antarctic-Himalaya published by Springer along with six other books on varied topics. She has two petitions admitted in the Indian Parliament on stent pricing and PIO marriages. She has been a member of the National Biodiversity Authority, Chennai and has engaged in various conservation and climate change efforts. She was awarded the “Business Excellence and Innovative Best Practices Academia Award-2019” by the New Delhi Institute of Management (NDIM).
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Dr. Sunil Kumar De
Dr. Sunil Kumar De is the present Head of the Department of Geography, North Eastern Hill University, Shillong, India. desunil@gmail.com.
His major fields of interest are geomorphological hazards, fluvial dynamics, river health and human impact on the environment. He obtained his Ph.D. from the University of Calcutta in 1999. In his career he has published more than 60 research papers in different national and internationally reputed journals and book chapters, edited two books, co-authored a book on ‘River Health’ (Springer) and completed five research projects. He has served as the Vice President (2017-2018) of the Indian Institute of Geomorphologists (IGI) and presently the Vice President of the International Association of Geomorphologists (IAG) for the period 2017-2021. He was the Vice-Chair of the IAG Working group on Geomorphological Hazards (2005-2015) and the convener of the 9th International Conference on Geomorphology held in India (Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi) in November 2017.
Dr. PS Goel
Dr. PS Goel, Raja Ramanna Chair Professor National Institute for Advanced Studies Indian Space Research Organisation, Hq Bangalore. dr.psgoel@gmail.com.
Dr. P. S. Goel, former Secretary to Government of India, Ministry of Earth Sciences is currently the Raja Ramanna Chair Professor at NIAS, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Bangalore. He has contributed significantly to the development of magnetic altitude control system, mission planning for remote sensing, communication and scientific missions and authored over 100 research papers in referred journals and conferences. Dr Goel developed the spin axis orientation system, Bhaskara I & II satellites, magnetic control for spinning satellites, momentum biased 3-axis control system for APPLE, zero momentum based 3¬axis control system for IRS. V, and, configuration momentum biased altitude control system for highly stabilised INSAT-2. Dr Goel developed a very agile control system with step and stare capability to spot imaging mission TES and guided the evolution of re-entry capability for SRE Mission.
Dr. M Satish Kumar
Dr. M Satish Kumar is Director for Internationalisation in the Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences, School of Natural and Built Environment. satishmission@gmail.com
He is a Fellow, The Senator George J Mitchell Institute for Global Peace, Security and Justice. He was the former Director, Queens’ Academy India. He is currently a Visiting Professor in Banaras Hindu University (Varanasi) and has held positions in Jawaharlal Nehru University (New Delhi), University of Calcutta (Kolkata) and Soka University of America (California). He has more than 32 years’ experience of teaching and researching in the higher education sector in India, Cambridge and Belfast. He was awarded the Queen’s University Teaching Award (2014); the Bhoovigyan (Earth Scientist) National Leadership Award for contributions to Population, Environment and Development Studies (2002). He was the founding Member of the Royal Irish Academy National Committee of Future Earth Ireland and is currently a Member of AHRC Peer Review College and Newton Global Challenge Fund. He is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, Fellow of Higher Education Academy and a Member of the Royal Commonwealth Society.
Dr. Mahmood Aslam
Dr. Mahmood Aslam, Former Professor, Jawharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. aslammahmood@gmail.com
Dr Mahmood holds a master degree in Statistics from Kanpur University and Doctorate in Population Studies from JNU besides studying in the UK and USA. He has wide experience of teaching and guidance of research in Social Sciences. He specializes in quantitative methods of geography and demography and taught the subject for more than 35 years at JNU. Dr Mahmood serves on the advisory board of the National Council of Educational Research and Training’s (NCERT) Department of Education in Social Sciences. His book, Statistical Methods in Geographical Studies covers a wide range of techniques, commonly used by the regional analysts and presents them in a simplified mathematical language. Major emphasis is laid on the purpose, underlying assumptions, computations and the interpretations of the various techniques. It is one of the most widely referred texts in the field.
Dr. Meenakumari B
Dr. Meenakumari B, Former Chairperson, National Biodiversity Authority, Chennai. meenakumarib@gmail.com
Dr Meenakumari, before becoming the Chairperson of NBA, worked as Deputy Director General of Fisheries, the topmost position in fisheries. She is the first woman scientist to come up to this position in the last 80 years of existence of Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR). She is actively working to conserve resources for the sustainable development of Indian fisheries and is interested in impact assessment and environmental monitoring. She has worked on Ecobiology of Fouling and received a gold medal. She is the recipient of prestigious awards like the Young Scientist Award by Kerala State in 1989, Panjab Rao Desmukh Women Scientist Award 2002 instituted by ICAR, the Marie Curie Mahila Vijnana Puraskar, 2010, the Bhoominirman Award-2011, and Dr R. S. Paroda Gold Medal for outstanding contributions in Fisheries, 2012.
Dr. Mukhopadhaya Dripto
Dr. Mukhopadhaya Dripto, Chief Executive Officer Ascension Centre for Research and Analytics (ACRA), Noida, Uttar Pradesh. dripto@ascension.org.in
Dr. Mukhopadhaya has been associated with applied economic and consumer research for over 18 years, has worked in over 150 studies across different domains, working with large scale databases like NSSO, ASI, Economic Census, Census of India and DLHS. He has authored more than 50 publications in various journals and books in form of research papers and chapters. He has served as the Director of Economic Research at Nielsen India He joined Samsung India Electronic Ltd. as Research and Planning Head with the Strategy and Business Innovation team at Samsung after moving from Nielsen. Dr Mukhopadhaya is the CEO of Ascension Centre for Research and Analytics (ACRA). Dripto has an experience of working in applied scientific researchareas for more than 22 years . He attended Calcutta University, Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) at New Delhi and Faculty of Management Studies (FMS) at Delhi University for his academic career.
Dr. Prithvish Nag
Dr. Prithvish Nag, Former Vice Chancellor, MG Kashi Vidyapeeth, Varanasi. prithvishnag@hotmail.com
Dr Nag holds an MSc (Gold Medalist), PhD from the Benaras Hindu University, Varanasi. He was formerly the Director of the National Atlas and Thematic Mapping organisation (NATMO) under the Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of India. He joined NATMO in 1976 as a Research Officer and was selected the Director in 1994. He then went on to be the Surveyor General of India, Survey of India, for the rest of his service life. He has also been the President of India National Cartographic Association and Institute of India Geographers. After retirement he was nominated as the vice chancellor of Kashi Vidyapeeth. He is an eminent scholar in the field of digital mapping and has received various awards such as Technology Excellence by Technocrats Association of India, Uttaranchal Ratan by Uttaranchal Nagrik Parishad, and Commonwealth Bursary by the Geographical Society.
Dr. Narmadeshwar Prasad
Dr. Narmadeshwar Prasad, Executive Editor Bhugol Aur Aap, Director, Parliamentary and Administrative Research Institute. namiprasad2012@gmail.com
Dr. Prasad is an MA, MPhil and PhD from the School of International Studies, Centre for International Politics, Organisation and Disarmament, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. He has published two books and has been the Editor of Bhugol Aur Aap, a Hindi bi-monthly magazine on environmental issues since its inception in 2003. Dr. Prasad has worked with Indian Parliament in various capacities since October 1994 to 2017. He has got a vast experience in the functioning of Parliamentary system. He is director of a capacity building institute ‘Parliamentary and Administrative Research Institute’ (PARI). Dr. Prasad has been associated with LIGHTS since 2003 and has participated in many charitable activities undertaken by LIGHTS
Dr. K J Ramesh
Dr. K J Ramesh, Former Director General, Indian Meteorological Department, Government of India. kjramesh2607@gmail.com
Dr. K J Ramesh obtained his PhD from IIT Delhi on Monsoon Dynamics and MSc (Meteorology) from Andhra University. He retired as the Director General of IMD in 2019. He is an elected Fellow of Andhra Pradesh Academy of Sciences, elected Member of National Academy of Sciences. He specialized in Numerical Weather Prediction that includes hazard and climate risk assessment and early warning. He has worked on Model Diagnostics, Monsoon Dynamics and Disaster Mitigation Modelling. In Ministry of Earth Sciences he was heading the Atmospheric Science Services and Climate Change Research Programme Development before taking over as DGM, IMD. He is an elected Fellow of Andhra Pradesh Academy of Sciences, elected Member of National Academy of Sciences, Allahabad and has more than 50 papers in peer reviewed journals to his credit.
Dr. Saraswati Raju
Dr. Saraswati Raju, Former Professor , CSRD Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. saraswati_raju@hotmail.com
Prof Saraswati Raju has over 40 years of experience in teaching and researching in issues related to gendered history, gender and space, research methods and policies related to South Asian Youth. She is an internationally renowned scholar on Gender-related issues. Also to her credit is India’s first Gender-Atlas. She has received many Honours and Awards which include First Visiting Scholar in Feminist Perspectives on Globalization; The Canadian International Development Agency’s-International Development Research Centre- Carleton University-University of Ottawa, Canada sponsored by Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) and the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) during 2004-05. She was a Visiting Guest Professor, Department of Geography and South Asian Institute, Ruprecht-Karls University, Heidelberg, Germany (1995). She got the Trevelyan Fellowship at the Durham University, Durham, England. British Council’s Grant-in-Aid and Wallace Trust, England’s Travel Grant in 1992.
Dr. Rasik Ravindra
Dr. Rasik Ravindra, Former Director, NCAOR, Goa. rasikravindra@gmail.com
Dr. R Ravindra was DDG in the Geological Survey of India, an organisation that he served from 1971 to 2005 before donning the role of Director, NCAOR (now NCPOR). A veteran Antartican, he participated in India expedition to Antarctica in 1987-88 for the first time and subsequently led the ninth Antarctic expedition in 1989-91. He was Chairman of the DST constituted Program Monitoring Committee on “Dynamics of Himalayan Glaciers from 2007 to 2012 and was appointed Chair, Panikkar Professor in October 2012 by Ministry of Earth Sciences. He has served as an elected Member of the U N Commission on Limits of Continental Shelf for 2014-2017 Term. He has received National Award for Polar Sciences and Cryosphere, 2013, National Mineral Award- 1990, Antarctic Award- 2002, H. N. Siddiqui Gold Medal from IGU in 2011, Prof Prem Bahadur Verma Memorial Lecture award , Prof R C Mishra Memorial Gold Medal 2017 and DR W D West Oratory Award, 2018.
Dr Praveen Saptarshi
Dr Praveen Saptarshi, Professor Emeritus, Sustainability Management, Indian Institute of Cost and Management Studies & Research, Pune . Visiting Professor, Salisbury University, Maryland, U.S. praveen.saptarshi@gmail.com
Dr Saptarshi has over 48 years of teaching experience in the field of Environmental Studies. Over the years he has supervised over 50 PhD candidates. He was also appointed as the Emeritus Fellow at Dept. of Environmental Sciences, Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune for 2 years from April 1, 2016. He has participated in numerous international conferences worldwide. He has served as the editor of 5 academic journals and also has 14 books to his credit.
Dr B Sengupta
Dr B Sengupta, Former Member Secretary, Central Pollution Control Board, New Delhi.
Dr B Sengupta is an Environmental Scientist who worked with the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), under Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India for more than 30 years – of which for 10 years he was the Member Secretary of Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). He has also worked with University of Florida, Gainesville, USA on air quality management and control. He represented India in many International Meetings / Seminars / Workshops organized by UNEP/USEPA/WHO/World Bank/UNIDO etc. Dr. Sengupta has published more than 250 technical reports while working in CPCB and also presented/publish more than 50 papers in National and International peer reviewed Journals. He also guided M.Tech and Ph.D. students of IIT‐Delhi, JNU, Delhi University etc. His specific interest and expertise are in development of Air Quality Standard based on health effects, Air Quality Monitoring Network both for criteria and toxic air pollutants, Development of industry specific emission standard for various air pollutants, Hazardous waste management and remediation of contaminated sites, Co‐incineration of hazardous waste in cement kilns, Clean coal technologies and fly ash management.
Dr Sachidananda Sinha
Dr Sachidananda Sinha, Professor, CSRD, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. sachi57sinha@gmail.com
Dr Sinha is a Professor in the Centre for the Study of Regional Development (CSRD) in Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. He has over 40 years of experience in teaching and research on issues related to education, health, geography and livelihood. His area of research broadly includes Social geography and geography of well being; tribal and rural studies, research on socially marginalized sections with respect to access to health and education. He has been awarded Bhugol Bhushan Award, by Deccan Geography in 2013. He has also developed new methodology for the identification of Educationally Backward Districts in India, currently in use by UGC and MHRD. He has also worked as consultant, advisor and resource person for various initiatives undertaken by the ICICI Foundation in the area of school education in Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh and also for the Azim Premji Foundation for their teachers education/training programmes.
Dr Victor Smetacek
Dr Victor Smetacek is Professor Emeritus for Bio-Oceanography at the Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research in Bremerhaven, Germany. Victor.Smetacek@awi.de
His enduring fascination for nature was kindled during his childhood and youth spent in the forested Himalayan foothills of Kumaon. He received his BSc in biology in Nainital and studied marine biology at Kiel University. His PhD research was on plankton biology and marine biogeochemistry of the Baltic and later shifted to that of the Southern Ocean. His research fields encompass ocean ecology and its effect on the global carbon cycle in relation to past climate cycles.
Dr Satish Tripathi
Dr Satish Tripathi is a former Dy. Director General, The Society of Earth Scientists. sctgsilko@rediffmail.com
He has been associated with active geological field investigations for over 25 years in various domains of geosciences. He launched India’s first open access e-Journal Earth Science India-www.earthscienceindia.info in 2008 and Series Editor, SES Series by Springer. Dr.Tripathi is currently actively involved in geoheritage conservation and pursuing government to in act legislation for their conservation. His exemplary contribution is in the field of dinosaur fossil bearing Cretaceous sequence of lower Narmada valley in establishing its stratigraphy, palaeogeography, palaeoceanography and palaeoenvironmental signatures of extinction at K/T boundary. Dr. Tripathi has about 34 research papers to his credit, in international and national journals. He is at present associated with the Geological Survey of India.
Dr Ajit Tyagi
Dr Ajit Tyagi, Air Vice Marshal (Retd) Former DG, IMD, New Delhi. ajit.tyagi@gmail.com
Dr Tyagi served as Director General of Meteorology, India Meteorological Department, Assistant Chief of Air Staff (Meteorology) and Principal Director (Information Technology) in the Indian Air force. Dr Tyagi played a key role in the modernisation of India Meteorological Department and brought significant improvements in weather forecasting and warning of high impact weather events in the country. He was Permanent Representative of India (2009-2013) with the World Meteorological Organisation and member of its Executive Council. He has served on the Governing Councils of SAARC Meteorological Research Centre, Indian Institute of Meteorology and National Atmospheric Research Laboratory. Prof Tyagi played a key role in modernisation of India Meteorological Department and brought significant improvements in weather forecasting and warning of high impact weather events in the country.
Dr James KS
Dr James KS, Director and Sr. Professor International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS). ksjames@gmail.com
a deemed university under the Ministry of health and Family Welfare, Government of India. Prior to assuming as the Director, he was Professor at the Centre for the Study of Regional Development, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. He works extensively on demographic changes with focus on population and development and ageing issues. He has published widely on demographic transition and demographic dividend in journals such as Science, Lancet Global Health, BMC Public Health, Brown Journal of World Affairs, Maternal and Child Health Journal, Economic and Political Weekly etc. He has been a visiting fellow in many prestigious institutes and universities including Harvard University, USA; London School of Economics, UK; University of Southampton, UK; University of Groningen, The Netherlands and International Institute of Applied System Analysis (IIASA), Austria.
Dr Ipsita Chatterjee
Dr Ipsita Chatterjee, Associate Professor, Department of Geography, University of North Texas, 1155 Union Circle#305279, Denton. Ipsita.Chatterjee@unt.edu
Ipsita Chatterjee is an associate professor in the Department of Geography, University of North Texas. She completed her Ph.D at Clark University, Massachusetts and was an assistant professor at Pennsylvania State University, and later, at the University of Texas at Austin. Chatterjee focuses on globalization, urban change, class, identity, labor, Marxism, and feminism. Chatterjee’s first book is titled: Displacement, Revolution, and the New Urban Condition (Sage), it deals with globalization in an Indian city and associated displacement of urban poor, particularly, the Muslim poor. Her second book titled Spectacular Cities: Religion, Landscape and the Dialectics of Globalization (Oxford) deals with the spectacular objectification and theme park Disneyization of cities. Chatterjee is currently finishing a book titled: The Alt-Right Movement and the 3 Ms: Men, Migrants, and Muslims. Chatterjee has authored numerous articles in journals like, Urban Studies, Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers, Geoforum, Gender, Place and Culture among others.