Dr Nishchal Nath Pandey is the Director of the Centre for South Asian Studies(CSAS), a premier think tank of Nepal. Previously, he has served as the Executive Director of the Institute of Foreign Affairs (IFA) under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Dr Pandey was also an International Research committee member of the Regional Centre for Strategic Studies (RCSS), Colombo. Pandey also teaches at the department of conflict, peace and development studies under the Tribhuvan University.
Dr. Harikrishnan N B currently holds the position of Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Science & Information Systems at BITS Pilani K K Birla Goa Campus. His primary areas of interest revolve around data-driven learning, encompassing machine learning, brain-inspired learning, and causal machine learning. With a profound passion for teaching and research, he consistently dedicates himself to advancing knowledge in his field. In addition to his academic pursuits, Dr. Harikrishnan N B also finds interest in Indian philosophy, reflecting a well-rounded approach to intellectual exploration.
Dr. D.N. GUPTA holds engineering degree from IIT Roorkee and Ph.D. from IIT Delhi. In his Ph.D. program, he applied System Dynamics Modelling to determine policies in the Renewable Energy sector. He held various positions in the government, and contributed to policymaking and program implementation for sectors, such as education, public services, urban infrastructure, e-governance, and renewable energy. Steered implementation of a project for sustainable development, funded by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), and designed a monitoring system for implementation of Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). He has undertaken research projects supported by UNDP and UNICEF.
Doing policy research on Framework for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), covering issues of Institutional Development, Policy System, and Community Capability Management. His areas of specialization include Policy Research; Complexity Theory for Public Policy, Economy, and Business; System Approach and System Dynamics; Renewable Energy; Sustainable Development; Quality in Public Service Delivery; Institution Building; Policy Design; Behavioral Approach in Public Policy; Innovative approaches in Public Governance; Strategy for Advanced Technologies and Manufacturing; AI in Government; Economic Growth: how Complexity, Institutions and Public Policy & Governance shape economy.
Research themes: Complexity Theory, Public Policy, Institutional Development, and Framework for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Dr. J.R. Bhatt is an internationally recognized expert on various facets of environment, prominently climate change and biodiversity. As a lead negotiator, he regularly represented India, championing and mainstreaming the principles of conservation, sustainable development, equity, climate justice, balance between mitigation and adaptation, climate friendly lifestyles, means of implementation and technology transfer at over 90 important international meetings. He had been the Designated National Focal Point for all matters pertaining to Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and for National Communications including Biennial Updates to the UNFCCC leading to the preparation of 2 National Communications, 3 Biennial Update reports and Long-Term Low Carbon Development Strategy on behalf of India. He also co-authored India’s First Biodiversity Action Plan (2008) which continues to form the basis for work on Biodiversity within the country. He has guided and mentored extensive research on climate change and biodiversity throughout the country. He has been involved in the work of IPCC since 1990. He works with passion for national development and international cooperation.
Academic Background:
BE (Mech) 1984,UVCE; ME (Mech) 1991 & Ph.D, 2004, IISc, Bangalore.
Professional Background
36 and a half years of work experience in URSC, ISRO and superannuated at Level 14
(Scientist/Engr -G) and Index 15 (maximum of scale).
Major Responsibilities.
(a) Mar 2017 to 31Oct 2021 (date of superannuation), Project Director , Spacecraft Docking Experiment (SPADEX) Project, IRS-SSS Program, UR Rao Satellite Centre (URSC)
-Overall responsibility of system engineering for the realization of two spacecraft for the first Space Docking Experiment of ISRO including the establishment of specialized test facilities for extensive ground simulation and testing.
(b) Apr 1985 to Mar 2017, Spacecraft Mechanisms Group (SMG), URSC. (About 32 years)
Associate Project Director (Mechanical Systems), SPADEX Project.
Deputy Project Director (Mechanisms) - Resourcesat 2, GSAT 16, GSAT 15, HSP: Service Module
Head, Dynamics and Analysis Section & Advanced Mechanisms Section, SMG.
Analysis, Design and Testing of Deployment Mechanisms for several spacecraft projects.
Technology Development Program on Space Docking and Robotics for Spacecraft Berthing.
International Exposure through ISRO.
Testing of DC motors at M/s Honeywell , North Carolina, USA, 1998.
Team Lead, Testing of Deployment Mechanisms of GSAT-16, Kourou, French Guyana 2014
ISRO Team Member, representing Robotics and Space Docking, ISRO-DLR Workshop,
DLR, Oberpaffenhoffen, Germany, 2019.
R&D projects successfully executed with IISc faculty:
Co-investigator from ISRO for 3 projects with IISc faculty in ISRO-STC Cell technical projects.
Co-authored Technical Publications, Awards, Guest Lectures and Text Book Review.
Journals/Lecture Note/Book : 10, Citations:161, h-index:4 -SCOPUS.
International Conferences & Seminars : 10 and National Conferences and Symposia :18.
Newsletters : 3 , Best Paper Awards : 2 , Guest Lectures: 5, Text Book Review:1.
Additional Responsibilities.
Member, Space Robotics Experiment for Gaganyaan Programme Committee.
Technical Reviewer : ASME-JMD, MMT, Robotica, JST & International/National Conferences.
Evaluator : Promotion of a Principal Research Scientist to Chief Research Scientist from CPDM, IISc.
Peer Committee Member : Multi Agent Robotic System, CAIR , DRDO.
PhD Co-guide : for a colleague from URSC who completed successfully from IISc.
Convenor: Paper Review Committee, Satellite Technology Day-2011, URSC
Zonal Vice-President South: Association of Machines and Mechanisms, 2014-2017.
IRCA : Qualified International Registry of Certified Auditors, ISO 9001-2008
Session Chair :35th ISRO-STC Annual Symposium, IISc, Jan 2019.
Memberships of Professional bodies.
Fellow, Institute of Engineers (India) : F-110856/1
Senior Member, Computer Society Of India: Membership no. 7115.
Life member of 11 other professional bodies.
Chartered Engineer, Institute of Engineers, India.
DST-IISc-TIFAC Vision 2047- Two day consultative meet: Apr 27&28, 2023, Faculty Hall, IISc
Member of the coordination team for the consultative meet.
Panelist for the technical session on Vyom Sutra.
Biju Dharmapalan is a well-known National Award-winning science communicator, columnist and educator from Kerala. He is the first PhD holder in science communication from the prestigious CSIR- NIScPR (AcSIR). He had his B.Sc. and M.Sc. from the University of Kerala and M.Phil. from the Cochin University of Science and Technology. An academically meritorious person, Biju Dharmapalan is a University Rank Holder and recipient of University Merit Scholarships throughout his studies (B.Sc./M.Sc and M.Phil.) and has qualified national level examinations like GATE and NET. He is also a recipient of Summer Research fellowships from the Indian Academy of Sciences, Bangalore.
He has over 20 years of experience in academics and served as the Head of the postgraduate research department of Biosciences at Mar Athanasios College for Advanced Studies,Thiruvalla. He has handled research projects funded by KSCSTE, Govt. of Kerala and National Medicinal Plant Board,Govt. of India. He was in various academic bodies of M.G.University,Kottayam, University of Kerala, and Bhartiyar University.
Biju Dharmapaln has authored several textbooks and regularly writes for national-level science magazines and newspapers. He is the recipient of the prestigious ‘P.T. Bhaskara Panicker Science Writing Fellowship’ instituted by the Kerala State Council for Science Technology and Environment and the National Award for Outstanding Efforts in Science & Technology Communication through Print Media Including books and magazines.
He is a life member of various professional bodies and is currently serving as the executive
committee member of the Kerala Academy of Sciences.
K. Jairaj, a member of the 1976 batch of the Indian Administrative Service , has held distinguished appointments in the infrastructure, energy, transport and urban development sectors, including a role as Additional Chief Secretary, Energy Department and Chairman, BESCOM, Managing Director, Bangalore International Airport Ltd; Managing Director, Karnataka Power Corporation Ltd; Managing Director, Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation; Commissioner, Bangalore City Corporation for two terms; Commissioner for Commercial Taxes and Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister. With N.R. Narayanamurthy, Chairman Emeritus of Infosys, Mr. Jairaj established the Bangalore International Airport Limited, India’s first greenfield airport on public private partnership basis with Siemens, Germany.
Mr. Jairaj served with the World Bank, Washington D.C. USA, as senior public sector management specialist in the Africa region between 2004-2006. Mr. Jairaj’s has academic background in economics, public policy and management. He has a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) degree from Bangalore University, Master of Arts degree in Economics from the Delhi School of Economics, M.P.A. Woodrow Wilson School Of Public And International Affairs, Princeton University and M.P.A, Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, U.S.A, where he was Edward’s Mason Fellow.