Faculty

SS Meenakshisundaram is a Post Graduate in Mathematics from Loyola College, Madras and holds a Ph.D. in Development Economics from Jamia Milia Islamia National University, New Delhi. He joined the Karnataka cadre of the Indian Administrative Service in 1968. During his career he had held a number of assignments including Secretary, Rural Development and Panchayati Raj department when Karnataka launched its new system of panchayatiraj institutions. He was a Visiting Fellow at the Institute of Development Studies at the University of Sussex, United Kingdom for one year. Besides several articles and papers on Panchayatiraj and Rural Development, he has also published a book on "Decentralization in Developing Countries" with special reference to Nigeria , China and India during 1994. After working as Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister of Karnataka and Joint Secretary to three Prime Ministers of India, he also served as Adviser in the Planning Commission and Secretary in the Ministry of Rural Development. He was also the Dy. Chairman of the State Planning Board when Karnataka was under the President's Rule. Currently, he is the Chairman of MYRADA, a voluntary organization in the field of building people's institutions for development and a Visiting Professor at Institute of Social and Economic Change, Bangalore. His research interests include rural development, poverty alleviation, voluntary action and decentralized governance

Joined NIAS on 1st September 2002. Most significant research contribution: Study on non-human primates contributing to significant understanding of human sociality. Dr. Sindhu Radhakrishna holds a master's degree in psychology and a doctorate in animal behaviour. 

Her research interests are in the fields of primatology, behavioral ecology and conservation biology, and her work has focused on gaining a better understanding of social behaviour and communication in nocturnal primates. She was awarded the INSA Young Scientist's Award in recognition of the significance of her doctoral research on the behaviourial ecology of the Slender loris, a nocturnal primate found in southern India

Binoy is a cognitive scientist interested in the science of science communication and conservation of the megafishes.

He studies science communication ecosystems under the lens of cognitive science with the aim of developing strategies for the effective dissemination of science to promote scientific temper and positive behaviour change in multicultural societies. Cognitive and noncognitive factors shaping sensemaking of scientific information, interconnection between the risk communication and protective action decision making by the people during natural disasters (cyclones and landslides), determinants of public perception and acceptance of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and novel medical technologies, the interplay between mental models of climate change,  psychological distance and climate misinformation management are the major topics of research being pursued by his team. Binoy explores the role of participatory science communication programmes (walks, citizen science) in promoting scientific thinking and public trust in science and designs modules integrating traditional pedagogies with the tools and techniques of science communication to make science learning effort-free for the school children.

Binoy is developing a comprehensive plan for the conservation of freshwater megafishes (Mahseer) of India. He is studying the determinants of  behavioral and cognitive flexibility, learning abilities, decision making strategies and behavioral deficiency in the juveniles of Mahseers used in reintroduction and restocking programmes targeting rejuvenation and restoration of their depleting natural populations. Parallelly the studies focusing on beliefs, attitudes, values and behaviours of multiple stakeholders involved in megafish conservation are also conducted to develop public awareness programmes and policy recommendations to ensure the protection of these keystone species facing the threat of extermination. 

Binoy coordinates the activities of ‘Student Scientist’ – a unique initiative working for promoting bidirectional communication between scientists and students.  He is a research affiliate in the Krasnow Institute for Advanced Study, George Mason University, USA, and was the Secretary of the Ethological Society of India (ESI) one of the oldest organisation of the behavioural biologists in India. He  was selected as the  Inter-Continental Academia (ICA) Fellow by UBIAS, a consortium of 46 institutes of advanced studies located in various continents. He was the scientific observer and mentor to the Indian team secured top position in the medal tally for the first time in International Biology Olympiad (IBO-2023). Binoy is passionate about Yoga and Martial arts and has been a keen practitioner.

For further details see: https://social-cognition.weebly.com/

Nithin Nagaraj is Professor and Head of the Complex Systems Programme at the National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS), Bengaluru. He joined the NIAS Consciousness Studies Programme in October 2015. 

Nithin has a Bachelors degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from National Institute of Technology Karnataka (NITK, Surathkal, 1999), Masters degree in Electrical Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), Troy, New York, USA (2001) and PhD from National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bengaluru (NIAS, 2010). He has previously held positions at GE Global Research, IISER-Pune and Amrita University.  He has co-authored over 35+ international peer-reviewed journal publications, and 75+ national & international conference paper presentations with over 1600+ citations (Google Scholar). He has delivered over 150+ invited talks at various national and international forums. He is the co-inventor of 8 US patent applications (2 patents granted) and 2 Indian patent applications. He was conferred 'Distinguished Alumnus' Award for outstanding service and contribution towards Research and Education by NITK Surathkal Alumni Association in September 2024. He is a Senior Member of the IEEE, and an invited member of the Advisory Council of METI: Messaging Extra Terrestrial Intelligence International, USA. 

His teaching career has spanned a wide range of courses such as: Introduction to Mathematical Methods, Topics in Artificial Intelligence: Reading the Classics, Scientific Theories of Consciousness, Topics in Information Theory, Chaos & Causal Learning, Signals & Systems, Digital Signal Processing, Cryptography, Wavelet-based Signal Processing, Information Theory & Coding Techniques, Probability Theory & Linear Algebra. 

He has co-authored publications in leading peer-reviewed international journals such as Neural Networks, Chaos, Solitons & Fractals, Physical Review E, Chaos Theory and Applications, IEEE Transactions in Circuits and Systems for Video Technology, Chaos: An  Interdisciplinary  Journal  of  Non-linear  Science, Frontiers in Neurology, Journal of Biomedical Informatics, European Physics Journal Special Topics, PeerJ, PeerJ Computer Science,  Annals of Indian Academy of Neurology,  Communications in Nonlinear Science and Numerical Simulation, International Journal of Bifurcation and Chaos, Heliyon.  He has also co-authored a paper in NeurIPS: Neural Information Processing Systems (the #1 international conference on Artificial Intelligence).  He has an Erdos number of 3. 

Nithin's research interests include Learning in Complex systems, Brain-Inspired Artificial Intelligence, Nonlinear Dynamics & Chaos, Information theory, Complexity theories of Causality and Consciousness.

For more details, please visit: https://sites.google.com/site/nithinnagaraj2/

Prof Malavika Kapur has a long-standing association with NIAS. Her pioneering work on research in developmental psychology has been her main contribution.  Exploratory research into childcare in indigenous health care systems has been her abiding interest. At NIAS, she has brought out the Proceedings in 2012 of a seminar on Developmental Psychology Education sponsored by the ICSSR (India), NWO (Netherlands) and ESRC (UK) held in Cambridge University earlier on .   She also organised a workshop for young scholars on Cross Cultural Research Collaboration in the spring of 2010.  In 2016 was the member of the committee appointed by the UGC to work on the syllabus in Psychology incorporating contemporary Western and Indian psychology and it is on public domain with the UGC.

She organised a multidisciplinary brainstorming seminar at NIAS in 2013 on Public Risk Perception and brought out the proceedings of the same in 2014.  She is on the Advisory Committee of WHO 11th revision on Child Psychiatric Disorders from 2011 onwards. 

Currently appointed a member of Focus group on Early Child Care and Education (ECCE) for one year to prepare a position paper by the NCERT to translate the New Education Policy into action at the grassroots level.

Currently appointed a member of the Academic Council Children’s university, Gandhi Nagar Gujarat, from 29-6-2022 for a term of three years.

She has authored 9 books and has edited 7 books, has 40 book chapters and over 80 journal articles to her credit. 

Areas of Research: 

Western Psychology (Clinical), Developmental Psychology, Developmental Child Psychopathology, Clinical Child Psychology, School Psychology, Community Psychology for Schools. Psychological Testing, Psychological Interventions, Indian Psychology and Indigenous Health Care Systems - Ayurveda, Unani, Siddha, Tibetan Medicine, Comparative Studies on Western and Indian Psychology form her  Academic Publications along with  Fiction for children and adults

Urban Outreach

Prof Malavika Kapur has been running a free Child Guidance Centre (video documentary by Anuradha Rana of Prasanna Counselling Child Guidance Centre, Bull Temple Road, Bengaluru) in Bengaluru with the help of trained volunteers since 2003.

Rural Outreach

She has longstanding commitment to counselling children and promotion of psychosocial development of rural and tribal children for over two decades.  She also conducts workshops and delivers keynote addresses and lectures to lay public, parents, school teachers, counsellors and the academic community. She is committed to promotion of child mental health and overall psychological development of children.

Action research on outcome evaluation of child centred, play based strategies in the promotion of psycho social development of tribal primary schools children and Science workshops SC/ST 10th graders in HD Kote , Mysore district  four Ashram schools  and one high school.

A.V. Krishnan is a mechanical engineer from Bangalore University and joined BHEL, Tiruchi as an Engineer Trainee in January 1976. He worked in Product Development (Boilers), Field Engineering Services and R&D for six years after which he moved to Quality Assurance and Business Excellence group after undergoing ‘One year training in Statistical Quality Control & Operations Research’ at Indian Statistical Institute, Chennai. He then worked for 21 years in various disciplines of Quality Assurance, Quality Control and Laboratories. Subsequently, he headed the “Welding Research Institute” at BHEL, Tiruchi. After serving as a General Manager in the BHEL Corporate Office and as the CEO of the BHEL Boiler Auxiliaries Plant at Ranipet, he was promoted as Executive Director in 2008. In June 2009, he was appointed as Executive Director of BHEL’s flagship manufacturing complex at Tiruchi where he served till his superannuation from BHEL in July 2015. In the EEC Program, Prof Krishna works on clean coal technologies, the role and economic viability of nuclear power in India, power flow analysis, and optimal electricity supply options for India.

Research Interests: Clean coal technologies, economic viability of nuclear power in India, optimal power supply options for India, power flow analysis.

R. Srikanth is the Dean of the School of Natural Sciences & Engineering, and also heads the Energy, Environment, and Climate Change Program.  He graduated from the Indian School of Mines in 1984 and was awarded the ISM Gold Medal.  He worked in coal mines for six years before commencing his research at the Pennsylvania State University where he completed a dual Ph.D. in Mining Engineering & Operations Research. He joined NIAS in 2016 after a 20-year long career in industry, primarily in Tata Steel. He is currently involved in several Government-appointed committees related to energy security alongside his other duties as faculty and Dean at NIAS.

Research Interests: Air pollution and public health, energy security, coal and mineral policies, environmental policy and governance, sustainable development, and climate change.

Dr Rudrodip Majumdar is currently an Associate Professor in the Energy, Environment, and Climate Change Programme at NIAS w.e.f. 01 July 2025. Previously, he served as an Assistant Professor at the institute from August 2019 to June 2025. He has a doctorate in Nuclear Engineering from North Carolina State University in the USA and an M.Tech. in Nuclear Engineering from IIT Kanpur. Before joining NIAS, Rudrodip worked as an Institute Postdoctoral Fellow at IIT Bombay and as a Postdoctoral Research Assistant at North Carolina State University. Rudrodip's professional research interests centre around Sustainability, encompassing Renewable and Clean Energy, Nuclear and Plasma Fusion Energy, Industrial Applications of Plasma, and Analyses of Energy-efficient Sustainable Systems. To date, Rudrodip has published 36 research articles in reputed International Journals, 14 Chapters in Edited Volumes (Monographs) of Repute, and 23 papers in International Conference Proceedings.  His recent work on the evaluation of energy transition-readiness in low-to-medium-income households in Bengaluru has been highly appreciated by the Office of the PSA to the GOI.  By nomination, Rudrodip has been selected as a Review Editor of the Energy Storage section in Frontiers in Energy Research Journal. Apart from academics, Rudrodip takes a great interest in Wildlife Conservation, Nature Photography, Creative Writing and Indian Classical Music.

Sangeetha Menon joined National Institute of Advanced Studies, in January 1996, in the Indian Institute of Science campus, Bangalore (India). Her interview and appointment was led by an illustrious group of scientists like Dr Raja Ramanna (Founding Director of NIAS), Prof CV Sundaram, Prof BV Sreekantan and Prof RL Kapur. Subsequently she conceptualised and commenced the NIAS Consciousness Studies Programme along with BV Sreekantan (former Director, TIFR and Honorary Professor, NIAS). This was the first academic group that started in India to study consciousness with an interdisciplinary and a multidisciplinary mandate. Sangeetha is a philosopher with a keen interest in consciousness. Her major area of research is in philosophy of psychology. Her expertise is in Indian philosophy, consciousness studies, philosophy of psychology, philosophy and psychology of self. She works with her colleagues at NIAS and collaborators worldwide to create and encourage a first-person centered approach to understanding consciousness and cognitive capabilities that favours experiential well-being for all. Dr Menon's professional qualifications include degrees in biology and philosophy. She is a first rank holder and gold medalist from Maharaja's College for Women, Trivandrum for post-graduate degree in philosophy. The thesis for her doctoral degree, from University of Kerala, is on the concept of consciousness in the Bhagavad Gita which was completed with junior and senior research fellowship from University Grants Commission, India.

Research Interest: 

Prof Menon's major area of research is in philosophy of psychology. Her expertise is in Indian philosophy, consciousness studies, philosophy of psychology, philosophy and psychology of self. She works with her colleagues at NIAS and collaborators worldwide to create and encourage a first-person centered approach to understanding consciousness and cognitive capabilities that favours experiential well-being for all. Sangeetha Menon started her research with a comparative study of consciousness, from the East and the West, focusing on the theories of agency, emotion, freedom, self, and human well-being in the Bhagavad Gita. Subsequently, she focused on Indian philosophical concepts criss-crossing the works of philosophers: Sankaracharya, Abhinavagupta, Narayana Guru et al. and bringing in Indian aesthetics and dramaturgy to understand cognitive dimensions of creative expressions and personal agency. Her initial papers argue for an epistemological shift that considers the ontological primacy of self, and the importance of the experiencer that would present the 'harder problem' of consciousness. While some of her initial studies were deeply metaphysical and philosophical in approach, she moved on to engaging philosophy with biology and psychology to understand the primary issue in consciousness, which is the 'self'. She is one of the originators of the field of Indian psychology, guiding research in well-being studies, life-sustaining values, self-transformation, and artistic experience. One of her primary contributions in consciousness studies is presenting and engaging with the concept and experience of self from the neurobiological and philosophical point of view, and theorising a 'self-challenged brain and brain-challenged self'.

Prof. Sharada Srinivasan is Professor at the National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS), Bengaluru. She was elected International Honorary Member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2021 in Archaeology. She received the Padmashri, the fourth highest civilian award from Government of India in Archaeology in 2019.  Sharada has made pioneering contributions to the study of archaeology and history of art from the perspective of exploring engineering applications.  

Prof. Sharada Srinivasan’s landmark contributions include archaeometric characterisation of bronzes of South India using lead isotope analysis and archaeometallurgical studies on ancient mining and metallurgy in southern India. These span studies on the production mechanisms of high carbon wootz steel and documentation of artisanal technologies such as Aranmula high tin bronze metal mirror making, bronze casting at Swamimalai and ancient and continuing traditions of high-tin bronze working, while she has worked on artefacts in the Government Museum, Chennai, British Museum, Victoria and Albert Museum, London, ASI amongst others. Prof. Sharada Srinivasan is a Fellow of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and World Academy of Art and Science.

Her awards include the INAE Indian National Academy of Engineering Woman Engineer in Academia 2021 Award, Distinguished IITB Alumnus Award, Dr. Kalpana Chawla Young Women Scientist Award for 2011, the Indian Institute of Metals, Certificate of Excellence 2007, Materials Research Society of India Medal 2006, Malti B. Nagar Ethnoarchaeology Award (2005), DST-SERC Young Scientist Fellowship, Flinders Petrie Medal 1989 from University of London, Materials Research Society Graduate Student Award 1996, DST Nurture Scheme and Young Scientist Awards and the British Chevening Scholarship for her Phd work. She was Forbes Research Associate at the Department of Scientific Research and Conservation, Freer Gallery of Art, Smithsonian Institution, USA in 1999 and Homi Bhabha Fellow at Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore from 1996-98.  She has been a co-recipient of international awards from UKIERI, UK, (on pioneering iron and steel metallurgy), AHRC, UK, (on interfaces between archaeology and drama), SSHRC Canada, Royal Society, UK, and National Science Foundation, USA.  

She is first author of the book ‘India’s Legendary Wootz Steel’,  contributing author to ‘Ecstasy of Classical Art’, the bronze catalogue of National Museum, Delhi and co-editor of ‘Digital Hampi’ and ‘Performing on the Periphery’.  She is on the Standing Committee of the international Beginning of the Use of Metals and Alloys Conference.  She has been an accomplished exponent of the classical dance form of Bharata Natyam and has given lecture-demonstrations such as on the artistic and scientific perspectives on the Chola Nataraja bronzes at Royal Academy of Arts, London (2007) and with a photo-exhibition at Space City, Toulouse (2009) apart from national venues.  She earned her PhD from the Institute of Archaeology, University College London (1996) on Archaeometallurgy of South Indian bronzes; MA from School of Oriental & African Studies, London (1989) and BTech in Engineering Physics from IIT Bombay (1987).