Shailesh Nayak

Shailesh Nayak
Director
7 Jan 2018 -
Phone
+91-80-23601969
E-mail
shailesh@nias.res.in
director@nias.res.in
Room no
F 14
Department

Dr. Shailesh Nayak currently is the Director of the National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bengaluru, Chancellor of the TERI School of Advanced Studies, Delhi, Editor-inChief, Journal of the Indian Society of Remote Sensing and Life Trustee, India International Centre, New Delhi. He was the Chair, Earth System Science Organisation (ESSO) and Secretary to the Government of India, for Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES), between August 2008-2015.  He provided leadership for the programs related to science of climate change, weather services, polar science, geoscience, ocean science and modelling, ocean survey, resources, and technology. His current research interest includes building strategy for blue economy,  sustainable development and science diplomacy.  

Dr. Nayak obtained Ph. D. degree in Geology from the M.S University of Baroda in 1980.  He joined the Space Applications Centre, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) in 1978 as a scientist, and subsequently elevated as the Director of Marine and Water Resources. He was mainly responsible for conceptualising, formulating and executing many national level projects related to application of satellite data on ocean colour, integrated coastal zone management, snow and glacier studies and water resources. The generation of detailed information on the Indian coast has influenced the development of policy for zoning of coastal zone for regulating coastal activities and was closed involved in restructuring Coastal Regulation Zone Notification, Issued by the Ministry of Environment and Forest, Govt. of India.  

Dr. Nayak was appointed as the Director, Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS), Hyderabad, an autonomous institution under ESSO, in May 2006. At ESSO-INCOIS, he set up a state-of-the-art Early Warning System for Tsunami and Storm Surges in the Indian Ocean. He was responsible for the conceptualisation and development of Marine GIS. He made outstanding contributions in improving advisory services related to potential fishing zones, ocean state forecast, and Indian Argo project. 

  He is Member of the Governing Board of the Indian Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (In-Space), Foundation for Ecological Security, Anand, and National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Zone Management, Chennai. Dr. Nayak, Chair, Jury for the National Blue Flag Committee, Research Advisory Committee of ESSO-National Antarctic and Ocean Research Centre, Goa, ESSO- National Centre for Coastal Research, Chennai, Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology, Dehradun.  

Dr. Nayak is Fellow of the Indian National Science Academy, New Delhi, Indian Academy of Sciences, Bengaluru, the National Academy of Sciences, India, Allahabad,  the International Society of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ISPRS), and Academician of the International Academy of Astronautics, Paris. He has been awarded honorary degree of Doctor of Science by the Andhra University in 2011, by the Assam University in 2013, and by the Amity University in 2015.  Dr. Nayak is recipient of IGU - Hari Narain Lifetime Achievement Award in Geosciences-2013, the ISCA Vikram Sarabhai Memorial Award 2012, the Bhaskara Award for 2009 by the Indian Society of Remote Sensing, Dehradun. Considering the impact of his research on the society, the Govt. of India has conferred him, the civilian honour ‘Padma Shri’ in the field of science and engineering in 2024. 

  Dr. Nayak is the President, Indian Geophysical Union, Hyderabad, and Indian Mangrove Society. Dr. Nayak has published about 190 papers in International and National journals and deliver about 200 invited talks in national and international fora. 

Gandhi in the Twenty First Century Anshuman Behera, Shailesh Nayak
Conflict Resolution and Peace Research
Gandhi in the Twenty First Century: Ideas and Relevance
Springer Nature. 2022
2022
Shailesh Nayak
co-authored
Tsunami Watch and Warning Centers
In: Encyclopedia of Solid Earth Geophysics edited by H. K. Gupta. Encyclopedia of Earth Science Series. Springer, Cham.
2020
Shailesh Nayak
From ocean science to sustainable blue economy
Current Science 126(2).pp155-160
25 January 2024
Journal Articles
Shailesh Nayak
Factoring Climate Change Risks in the Wetland Ecosystems Governance: A Policy Look Ahead
Environmental Policy and Law, vol. 52, pp. 277-288, 2022
8 July 2022
Journal Articles
Shailesh Nayak
Addressing resilience to cyclones – a perspective.
Current Science 120(2): 247-248.
1 January 2021
Journal Articles
Shailesh Nayak
National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS) - Institutional Report.
Proceedings of the Indian National Science Academy 86 (1): 769-774.
1 January 2020
Journal Articles
Shailesh Nayak
Towards blue economy: A perspective.
Indian Journal of Geosciences 74(3): 191-196.
1 January 2020
Journal Articles
Shailesh Nayak
Remote sensing for national development: The legacy of Dr. Vikram Sarabhai.
Journal of the Indian Society of Remote Sensing 48: 1101-1120
1 January 2020
Journal Articles
Shailesh Nayak
Charting a new course for the oceans- preface to the special section on sustainable ocean technologies.
Current Science 118(11): 1679-1680.
1 January 2020
Journal Articles
D Suba Chandran, Shailesh Nayak
co-authored
Science, Technology and International Relations
Arctic: Why India should pursue the north pole from a science and technology perspective?
Current Science 119(6): 901-904.
1 January 2020
Journal Articles
Shailesh Nayak
Development of India’s first integrated expert urban flood forecasting system for Chennai.
Current Science 117 (5): 641-745.
1 January 2019
Journal Articles
Gufran Beig, R Srikanth, Shailesh Nayak
Energy, Environment and Climate Change
National Air Quality Resource Framework of India (NARFI) (NIAS/NSE/EECP/U/WR/01/2023)
Co-authored with M. Mohanthy, NIAS
2023
Shailesh Nayak, P G Diwakar
co-authored
Satellite remote sensing data policy: Benefits of free & open data.
NIAS Policy Brief No. NIAS/NSE/U/PB/04/2021
2021
Shailesh Nayak
Awakening to crises of the TB endemic.
Tuberculosis Newsletter 1(1): 11.
2020
NIAS BN Goswami, Shailesh Nayak
Climate Change and Indian Monsoon: Implications on Water Cycle (NIAS/NSE/EECP/U/PB/04/2023)
28 March 2023
Policy Briefs
Satellite Remote Sensing Data Policy: Benefits of Free & Open Data Shailesh Nayak, P G Diwakar
Satellite Remote Sensing Data Policy: Benefits of Free & Open Data
(NIAS/NSE/U/PB/04/2021)
16 December 2021
Policy Briefs
image Gufran Beig, R Srikanth, Shailesh Nayak
Energy, Environment and Climate Change
Air Quality, National Standards and Human Health in India
NIAS Policy Brief, 08 December 2021
8 December 2021
Policy Briefs