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Our Guests

Dr. Anand Narayanan

Professor, Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology, Trivandrum

Dr. Anand Narayanan is an astrophysicist whose belief in the scientific quest for understanding the physical universe, and our place in it as humankind, as he puts it, “is one the most remarkable adventures our species have embarked upon”, has led him to investigate the intricate mysteries of the universe very hands-on. Back on Earth, he currently holds the position of a professor at the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology. He pursued his masters and doctoral work in the discipline of Astronomy and Astrophysics from the Pennsylvania State University, after a B.Tech. in Electronics and Electrical engineering from CET, Trivandrum. An avid educator and active science communicator, he is well known in the community for his popular science columns in magazines and newspapers, public lectures, and scientific documentaries, (notably for creating and narrating the widely acclaimed astronomy documentary series in Malayalam named “Akalangalile Prapancham” (aa-ka-lang-a-li-le pra-pan-cham, which literally translates to ‘The distinct universe’). In academia, his research work focuses on understanding the details of the intergalactic medium in various scientific dimensions (including the distribution of baryonic matter therein).

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Dr. Anoop C. S.

Associate Professor, Department of Avionics, Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology, Thiruvananthapuram

Dr. Anoop C.S. is a researcher who specialises in the field of Instrumentation, analog signal processing and sensor technology development. He completed his undergraduate from the College of Engineering, Trivandrum and went on to take up his PhD as well as postdoctoral work at the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras. Following which he joined IIT Kharagpur as Assistant professor before taking up his current post at the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology, Trivandrum. Dr. Anoop C.S. has worked elaborately in varied facets in his field of expertise like sensor design, signal conditioning, analog-digital interfaces and direct digitizers, to name a few broad directions.

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Dr. B. N. Suresh

Honorary Distinguished Professor, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Headquarters, Bengaluru

Dr. B.N. Suresh is an internationally renowned veteran from the field of space sciences and a distinguished Indian Scientist. Dr. Suresh is the founding director, and current Chancellor of the prestigious Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology, established by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). He is presently serving as an Honorary Distinguished Professor at ISRO Headquarters. Dr. Suresh was formerly the Director of the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), the lead centre of ISRO in launch vehicles; former President of the Indian National Academy of Engineering (INAE); and former member of the Space Commission of India. An internationally renowned aerospace engineer with pioneering accomplishments in the arena of space vehicle design, space navigation guidance, control and actuation systems, vehicle electronics, integrated simulation for launch systems and R&D management in the country. His role in defining the activities for advanced technology development and their planning for space transportation in India is very significant. Dr. Suresh took his degree in Science in 1963 and in Engineering in 1967 from Mysore University. Later he did his Post Graduation from IIT Chennai in 1969. He started his career in ISRO at VSSC in 1969. Following this, he earned his doctoral degree in Control Systems from Salford University, UK under Commonwealth Scholarship. As Distinguished Scientist and Director VSSC, he provided the dynamic leadership for the development of very complex launch vehicles and contributed significantly for the successful launches of ASLV, PSLV and GSLV. He has been instrumental in establishing full-fledged and state-of-the-art laboratories needed for the evaluation of complex systems. He has nurtured and built world class actuation systems and launched vehicle simulation laboratories. He played a crucial role in steering the very complex Space Capsule Recovery Experiment (SRE), which involved several new and critical technologies. The module was flight tested successfully with perfect re-entry and precise recovery operations. Among his numerous laurels, in recognition of his meritorious contributions to Science and Technology, the Government of India conferred on him the 'Padma Shri' Award in the year 2002 and the 'Padma Bhushan' in 2013. He has published more than 45 technical papers in national and international symposiums, conferences and journals and guided more than 500 technical reports in the area of launch vehicle design, mission, avionics and other associated areas.

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Dr. B.S. Manoj

Professor, Department of Avionics, Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology, Trivandrum

Prof. B.S. Manoj is a professor at the Department of Avionics at the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology. He pursued his Bachelors and Masters of Technology in Electronics and Communication engineering, and further went on to pursue his doctoral work in computer sciences and engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras. He then moved to the University of California, San Diego for his postdoctoral work. At UCSD, he also started participating in academia as a lecturer, apart from being an active researcher working on various NSF-funded projects. Subsequently, he took up the position at IIST in 2011. His areas of research interests extend over a vast expanse of the field’s fundamental horizons in computer networks, internet security, wireless mesh networks, cognitive networks, and giant scale computing, as well as in advanced applications of networking, ranging from mobile data networks and sensor networks, to the internet of things and ideas of quantum computing as well. Prof. Manoj has co-authored the seminal text in the field namely, “Ad-hoc wireless networks: Architectures and Protocols”, among other prominent publications and projects, and his work on cyber security and networks is prominent and renowned in the community, serving as an inspiration to many who aspire to work in the same domain.

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Dr. GovindanKutty M.

Associate Professor, Department of Earth and Space Sciences, Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology, Thiruvananthapuram.

Dr. GovindanKutty Mohankumar is a scientist who works in the field of atmospheric sciences and meteorology. He pursued his Masters in Meteorology from the Cochin University of Science and Technology, then moved to conduct his doctoral work in atmospheric science at the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur. His further research work was carried out at the University of Oklahoma, following which he joined the current position at the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology, in 2014, and is currently an associate professor there. He has worked on elaborate ideas in meteorology, with research primarily focusing on the study and impact of data assimilation on the performance of weather models, atmospheric dynamics and predictability, climatology, tracking forecast of tropical cyclones and Indian monsoons, to name a few broad directions.

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Dr. Jinesh K. B.

Associate Professor, Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology, Trivandrum

Dr. Jinesh K.B. is currently an Associate Professor in the Department of physics at the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology. His early education started at the Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam, Kerala where he earned his bachelor's degree in the discipline of Physics followed with a Master’s in Sciences in the same discipline at the Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT), Cochin. He holds two PhDs in the disciplines of Electrical Engineering (Twente University of Technology, The Netherlands) and Physics (Leiden University, The Netherlands). He also served as a Senior Researcher at the Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. His research work primarily includes Future Memory Technology: Neuromorphic memory, Artificial Synapse for future Artificial Intelligence and Data Management, Nanoelectronic Materials, Atomic layer deposition (ALD). He holds 12 patents and several publications to his name.

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Dr. Praveen Krishna

Associate Professor, Department of Aerospace, Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology, Thiruvananthapuram

Dr. Praveen Krishna is currently an Associate professor at the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology, Thiruvananthapuram. A research pioneer from the field of applied dynamics and vibrations, he has carried out extensive work in the multifariously distinct area of nonlinear systems. He pursued his bachelors from the Kerala University and went on to take up his masters as well as doctoral work at the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras. His research includes myriads of problems dealing with non-linear systems and their dynamics. His work extends from the fascinating field of acoustic engineering to the very fundamental problems dealing with structural and vibration dynamics. With almost ten years of industrial experience, Dr. Krishna brings in an arsenal of practical knowledge to his teaching. In his personal time, as a violinist, Dr. Krishna has a deep passion for music and amusingly, is also pursuing research on the acoustics of Indian classical instruments. A warm sense of humour, genuine friendliness and immense passion for teaching are a few traits of his dynamic personality.

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Dr. R. K. Shevgaonkar

Professor Emeritus, Department of Electrical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay

Dr. R.K. Shevgaonkar is an academician, innovator, eminent researcher, administrator and an avid music enthusiast. His career trajectory is illustrious, vivid, and rich in eclectic experiences, with his longest spells at the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay, where he currently holds the position of Professor Emeritus. Dr. Shevgaonkar has served at crucial academic and administrative positions at IIT Bombay over the years, is the former Director of IIT Delhi, former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Pune and the Bennett University. Dr. Shevgaonkar’s research work and interests span across the vast fields of antenna theory, fibre optics communication, image processing, photonics, computational electromagnetics, and radio astronomy, to name a few. Apart from his exceptional expertise in the academic domain, he is a highly revered teacher, an inventor, and a visionary. Among his other pivotal contributions to the higher education system of India, he has pioneered the digital education activity in the country, and is one of the founding members of National Project on Technology Enhanced Learning (NPTEL), which is now an unprecedented archive of high quality educational resources available for free across the country. In our conversation with him, he discussed about some of the most complex of concepts in the field with immense clarity, and also shared some of the quintessential insights from the country’s educational scenario, spinning together a tale of passion and ingenuity peppered with his own personal interests and passion.

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Dr. R.V. Ramanan

Adjunct Professor (Retd.), Department of Aerospace Engineering, Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology

An illustrious scientist from the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and a veteran in the industry of space sciences, Dr. Ramanan is one of the pioneers in the Indian chapter to have explored the dynamic field of Spaceflight Mechanics and Astrodynamics. He pursued his Bachelors in Mathematics and Masters in Applied Mathematics from the Madurai Kamaraj University. Following this, he joined the Vikram Sarabhai Space Center in 1984 as a scientist and served for a span of 26 years during which, he worked on a plethora of distinct applied research disciplines, broadly covering the integrated aspects of Space Mission Design and Analysis, Orbit raising and maneuvering studies, and Optimization with main focus on transfer trajectory design of various space missions. Among his numerous significant contributions, he notably served as the Deputy Project Leader (of the Mission division) for the Moon Impact Probe Project of the well-known first Chandrayaan or the Moon-mission of ISRO, planned the Mangalyaan mission to Mars, and is the crucial person behind the fundamental idea of multi-satellite launches that ISRO currently uses. He shifted to academia in 2010 and took up the role of an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Aerospace Engineering at IIST till his retirement in the year 2020.

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Dr. Renee M. Borges

Professor, Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore

Dr. Renee Maria Borges is an evolutionary biologist and professor, pursuing research in the extremely lush and immersive field of Ecology, working majorly along the lines of evolutionary ecology of species interactions. She pursued her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Zoology from University of Bombay, and further went on to pursue her Doctoral degree from the University of Miami, USA, working in Ecology, Evolution and Behavioural Science. Further from there, Dr. Borges held a visiting faculty position at the Wildlife Institute of India in Dehradun, and later also served as the deputy director of research at the Bombay National History Society. Subsequently, she went on to join the Centre for Ecological Sciences at the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, and is currently a professor there. Her research interests lie in the evolutionary ecology of species interactions, investigating the chemical and visual ecology of such interactions while also partaking in fundamental research towards practical applications. Her research has taken her to study the forests, jungles and myriad of ecologically rich systems across the world, including the forests of Panama, Costa Rica and the Western Ghats, exploring the intricate relationships that different species share in order to survive in the wild.

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Dr. Roxy M. Koll

Climate Scientist, Indian Institute of Meteorology, Pune

Dr. Roxy Mathew Koll is a veteran researcher in the field of oceanography, dealing with Ocean atmosphere dynamics and interaction. He is currently a climate scientist at the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology. Dr. Koll completed his Master of Science in Physical Oceanography from the Cochin University of Science & Technology and went on to pursue his PhD in Ocean and Atmospheric Dynamics from the Hokkaido University in Japan. Following which, he joined the Euro-Mediterranean Centre for Climate Change in Italy as a research associate. He has also held positions as a visiting scientist at the Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory and the National Centers for Environmental Prediction in the United states. Alongside his research, Dr. Koll is also a lead author at the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, commonly abbreviated as IPCC - a scientific body instituted by the United Nations, whose goal is to provide information to the global community regarding climate change and its adverse effects. Recognised as one among the top 2% scientists ranked by Stanford University, Dr. Koll is working on the frontier of climate change research. Modelling unpredictable forces of nature like the vast Indo-Pacific oceans and making predictions about one of the lifelines of our nation, the Indian monsoon, is something he does on a regular basis. His work helps supplement humanity’s arsenal of knowledge in the battle against climate change.

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Dr. Sreejalekshmi K. G.

Associate Professor, Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology, Thiruvananthapuram

Dr. Sreejalekshmi K. G. is a researcher from the field of chemical sciences, who works on quite varied and multidisciplinary aspects of the field. She pursued her Masters and PhD from University of Kerala and presently holds the position of an Associate Professor in the Department of Chemistry at the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology, where she leads the group on Organic molecules and functional materials. Her work touches various disciplines through Synthetic Organic Chemistry, Combinatorial Chemistry for material development, Dendrimers synthesis and application, Drug discovery, and Supramolecular assemblies. To further the horizons of practical applications, she also works on various application based projects. One of her current collaborations include working on crystal growth under microgravity, and specific investigations of space-flight induced processes in living organisms, as a part of the upcoming human space flight program-- the Gaganyaan mission, by the India Space Research Organisation.

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Dr. Umesh R. Kadhane

Associate Professor, Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology, Thiruvananthapuram

Dr. Umesh R. Kadhane is a research pioneer from the field of fundamental physics, whose work expands beyond any conventional boundaries set for the discipline. He pursued his PhD from the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research in Mumbai, and then went on to pursue his postdoctoral works at various universities and research facilities, including the University of Aarhus, Denmark, and the University of Paris-Sud. He shortly worked at the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras as an assistant professor, before joining his current position at the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology. His research work has treaded unconventional paths, and continues to create new avenues, while probing the secrets that the fascinating everyday world hides from us. He also partakes in the development of scientific payloads and technologies for a plethora of ISRO missions.

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Prof. Bhal Chandra Joshi

Professor, National Centre for Radio Astrophysics - TIFR, Pune.

Prof. Bhal Chandra Joshi graduated with a bachelor in technology in Electrical engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee, and went on to complete his masters at the Indian Institute of Technology in Mumbai. He then pursued his doctoral work in the field of astronomy and astrophysics, and has been associated with the National Centre for Radio Astrophysics or NCRA by TIFR in Pune, for the longest part of his career, where he is currently based at, and is a very active researcher. His fundamental research addresses the longstanding questions about neutron star systems, and specifically pulsars in involved perspectives. Along with this, a major part of his career and work with the well-renowned veteran and stalwart of radio astronomy in India Prof. Govind Swarup was dedicated towards building the Giant Meterwave Radio Telescope (GMRT),which is the long-time world’s largest radio-telescope in the given frequency range that it addresses, and is truly a marvel of the expertise of science and technology development in India.

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Prof. Debayan Gupta

Assistant Professor, Ashoka University, Sonipat.

Dr. Debayan Gupta completed his Bachelors of Science in Computer Science from St. Xavier’s College Calcutta, following which, he went on to Yale University and completed his Ph.D. in computer science, working with Prof. Joan Feigenbaum. He has held an extraordinary faculty position at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and currently is an Assistant Professor at the Ashoka University, while also being a visiting professor and research associate at MIT. An expert in the fascinatingly vast field of computer science, Dr. Debayan Gupta works on multifarious problems that attack real-world applications, and primary research interests include secure computation, cryptography, and privacy. His interests span equally far and wide in a diverse arena including number theory, complexity theory, robotics, and machine learning, spanning up to World War ideas, carpentry, economics, and more, which he eloquently brings together in his conversations, putting in context in the larger picture and a deeply moving, personal understanding, alike. The veins of his academic work can also be interpreted as inspirations from these ambitious alleyways of crazy ideas, that also find expressions and engagements in forms of his involvement with numerous start-ups, and advisory roles for multiple companies that deal with adapting to the modern world of digital exposition and cyber-risks.

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Prof. Geetam Tiwari

TRIPP Chair Professor, Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi

Prof. Geetam Tiwari completed her Bachelors of Architecture from the University of Roorkee in 1980, and then went on to pursue Master of urban planning and policy from the University of Illinois at Chicago. She continued there for her PhD in public policy analysis with the specialisation in transport planning. She joined the Civil Engineering department at the Indian Institute of Technology in Delhi in 1990, where she currently is the TRIPP Chair Professor. Prof. Tiwari's areas of research and work that have impacted the current cities very directly. These ideas span across the wide areas of transport planning and modelling, traffic engineering, planning of public transport systems, urban planning, and urban traffic safety - to name a few major themes that her projects very adroitly address. Her extremely rich experiences across different continents and brilliant insights amalgamate beautifully to give way to the new understandings that we had the fortune of discussing with her over an illuminating conversation.

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Prof. Kalyan Chakraborty

Assistant Professor of History, Ashoka University

Prof. Kalyan Sekhar Chakraborty is a researcher, excavator, and post-excavation analyst, who specialises in Biomolecular Archaeology and Archaeological Geochemistry. Prof. Chakraborty pursued his bachelors in Anthropology from the University of Calcutta, and then went on to pursue his masters degree in archaeology, specialising in ancient Indian history and culture from the Deccan college. Following this, he pursued his doctoral work at the University of Toronto, wherein he conducted really interesting research in the field and as an analyst as well. Following his post-doctoral stints across various institutes and field sites, he currently is an assistant Professor at the Ashoka University, and is associated as a Postdoctoral researcher with the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History. We discussed with him on fundamental ideas about the understanding of human history from the anthropological and archaeological points of reference, the names of knowns while tracing the story of the development of human civilizations from scientific perspectives, and most importantly, naming the unknowns that still beg for an understanding of where we belong. Prof. Chakraborty’s patient art of storytelling combined with the extensive understanding of the nuances of the field made the conversation extremely lively, and beautifully lined with treasures of fundamental ideas, spilling into further ardent curiosities trails that we promised to follow through very soon.

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Prof. Kurien Issac

Senior Professor, Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology, Thiruvananthapuram

Prof. Kurien Issac is an expert in the field that take roots in mechanical engineering and aerospace engineering- the realm of kinematics and optimization. He completed his bachelors from the College of Engineering, Trivandrum, and went on to pursue his Masters in ‘Mechanics and Design’ from the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore. Following this, he spent some time at Tata Consulting Engineers before going further for his PhD to the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras. He thesis addressed the topics of optimal synthesis of linkage mechanisms from the research carried out through the graduate work, following which he took up a faculty position at the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay. Prof. Issac currently carries out his research at the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology, Trivandrum where he holds the position of a senior professor. Throughout his research work so far, Prof. Issac has worked on, studied, and has even created quite a number of novel mechanisms, ranging from variations of four-legged robots to those of ornithopters. His research directions span the wide arenas of optimization techniques and designs, robotics, mechanism control, kinematics of mechanisms such as humanoids and landing rovers.

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Prof. Rajesh Gopakumar

Director, International Centre for Theoretical Sciences - TIFR, Bengaluru.

Prof. Gopakumar did his bachelor’s studies at the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, and went on to pursue his doctoral work at Princeton University under Prof. David Gross. Thereafter, he pursued his postdoctoral fellowships at University of California Santa Barbara, and at Harvard University, before moving to India in 2001, as an Associate Professor at Harishchandra Research Institute in Allahabad, where he was working till 2015. Thereafter, he moved to the International Centre for Theoretical Sciences- TIFR at Bangalore, and assumed the role of the centre Director shortly after the joining. Prof. Gopakumar has had an exceptionally illustrious and inspirational journey over the years, with major milestones studded in his career that very few are able to command. His research interests primarily lie at the intersection of quantum field theory and string theory - which directly translate his unending curiosity for deciphering why string theory is a natural framework for describing a variety of phenomena, for instance, tracing the deepest fundamental roots of gravitation. This has included uncovering a new example of this correspondence (minimal model holography) and using it to understand the unbroken symmetries of string theory. His research works range across wide arenas of the field (and beyond), covering topological string theory, large N gauge theories, non-commutative field theory, and pure mathematics, to name a few, and are considered to be seminal contributions. Beyond his research works, he has also made momentous contributions to the development of scientific culture in India through his leadership, which have transformed the scenario at large and continue to push the ideas of science and pursuit of excellence further.

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Prof. Rupamanjari Ghosh

Former Vice Chancellor of Shiv Nadar University Delhi-NCR, Former Professor of Physics & Dean of School of Physical Sciences at Jawaharlal Nehru University

Prof. Ghosh pursued her Bachelors and Masters of Science at the University of Calcutta, graduating in 1980. She then moved to the United States for her PhD at University of Rochester, New York, where she worked with Prof. Leonard Mandel. It was during her doctoral years that she undertook, among other ideas, the pioneering work on Non-classical effects in the interference of two photons which essentially is considered to be one of the holy grails of the field of quantum optics. Upon completion of her PhD, Prof. Ghosh moved back to India to join the Jawaharlal Nehru University as a professor, where she worked for the major part of her career, until 2012, while also holding multiple visiting positions through the years at the Université Paris-Sud, and École Normale Supérieure among others. Prof. Ghosh has served in pivotal roles on multiple national scientific and educational bodies, including the National Council of Education Research and Training (NCERT), DST, UGC and CSIR, among others. She was the Vice-Chancellor at the Shiv Nadar University from 2016-2022, and currently is also on the Advisory Board of the Executive Leadership Academy at the University of California, Berkeley. Prof. Ghosh has not only contributed immensely to the field of science and technology through her brilliant work, but has also made an indelible mark in the society through her significant contributions as a policy maker, and an administrator with various educational institutions and governing bodies at different levels.

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Prof. Sriram Ramaswamy

Professor, Centre for Condensed Matter Physics, IISc, Bangalore

Prof. Ramaswamy spent his formative years in Delhi, and obtained his Bachelors in Physics from the University of Maryland. He pursued his PhD work at the University of Chicago, and then joined at the Pennsylvania state university as a post doctoral fellow. He is currently a Professor of Physics at the Center for Condensed Matter Theory in the Department of Physics at the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore. Prof. Ramaswamy has been accredited for the pioneering work in the field of mechanics and statistics of active matter, which has given birth and shaped this entire field of physics of extremely these interesting systems. His research focuses on studying and understanding a widely multidisciplinary scope of systems ranging from ecological, biological, astronomical, and beyond, through the essential lens of fundamental physics, and the powerful ideas of symmetry and conservation principles.

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Prof. Sujatha Ramdorai

Professor & Canada Research Chair, University of British Columbia, Canada.

Prof. Sujatha Ramdorai is a highly regarded and renowned mathematician, and has made seminal contributions to the field of algebraic theory, of which one of the most remarkable is her work on formulation of non-commutative version of the main conjecture of Iwasawa theory. Notably, she is the only woman till date to have won the ICTP Ramanujan Prize(2006), and was also recently honoured with the Padma Shri by the Government of India. Prof. Ramdorai completed her Bachelor of Science in Mathematics at St. Joseph’s College, Bengaluru and finished her M.Sc. from Annamalai University in 1985. After a short hiatus, she went on to pursue her Ph.D. from TIFR, Mumbai where her dissertation work was titled “Witt Groups of Real Surfaces and Real Geometry" which was completed in 1992. She continued working there as a Professor later on for further research. Currently, she holds the position of Professor and Canada Research Chair at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver. Prof Ramdorai also has keen interest in promoting education and science communication, starting at the grassroot levels, and her elucidations and single-handed personal work on descriptive versions of mathematics textbooks are one such labour of love and passion that are immensely precious, collated on a forum which she runs here: https://gyanome.org/. Prof. Ramdorai’s story is one of the singular examples of sheer brilliance combined with indomitable will of human spirit, that can cumulate to remarkable achievements.

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Prof. Thejesh N. Bandi

Associate Professor, University of Alabama, USA

Dr. Thejesh N. Bandi is the Principal Investigator of the Precision Navigation, Time and Frequency (PNTF) group at the University of Alabama. His research interests span from basic atomic and ion spectroscopy to its novel implementation methods with the atomic clocks, and the related metrological studies. He is involved in the space clocks R&D for the Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS), time scales, precision frequency and time synchronization schemes and related applications. Dr. Bandi was a Postdoctoral Fellow at JPL-NASA/Caltech, Pasadena, CA, where he worked on compact mercury ion clock. He was the head of the atomic clock division at the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), where he conceptualized, designed, and lead the successful research and development of the advanced indigenous space clock for the Indian navigation program.

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Prof. Vinay K. Dadhwal

Indira Gandhi Chair Professor of Environmental Science, National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bengaluru.

Prof. Vinay Kumar Dadhwal received his Bachelor in Science degree in Botany from Hansraj College, New Delhi in 1976, and went on from there to the Indian Agricultural Research Institute for his master's degree, where he continued and further received his Ph.D. in plant physiology in 1983. After this, Prof. Dadhwal joined the Space Applications Centre (ISRO), Ahmedabad where he served as the Head of Crop Inventory and Modeling Division, making seminal contributions in developing quintessential remote sensing methods, ultimately inspiring changes in India’s agricultural methods in his 21-year career. From there he went on to serve as the Dean at Indian Institute of Remote Sensing, Dehradun. Prof. Dadwal joined the National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC), Hyderabad as the Associate Director and went on to become the Director of NRSC, ISRO. After this, in 2016, he took up the responsibilities as the Director of the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology, Thiruvananthapuram, where he worked till 2021, and moved to his current position at the National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bengaluru, where he is the Indira Gandhi Chair Professor of Environmental Sciences.

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