Shailesh Nayak - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Dr. Shailesh Nayak is the Director, National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bengaluru and the Chancellor, TERI School of Advanced Studies, 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 was Distinguished Scientist during 2015-2018. 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. He chaired an expert group and conceptualised to establish National GIS in the country.

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.

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.

Dr. Nayak was the Chairman of the Research Advisory Committee of the National Institute of Oceanography, Goa (2008-2015), Centre for Earth Science Studies (2007-2013) and Defence Terrain Research Laboratory, Delhi (2014-15). He has been member of many national committees related to earth science, coastal protection, mangrove, coral reef, and coastal zone management.

Dr. Nayak is Fellow of the 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, the Indian National Remote Sensing Award for 1994 by the Indian Society of Remote Sensing, Dehradun, and the National Mineral Award for the year 2005. He is recognized as a Ph.D. Guide by six Universities, and eleven students have obtained Ph. D. under his supervision.

Dr. Nayak is the President of the 36th International Geological Congress to be held in Delhi in 2020. He is the President, of the Federation of Indian Geoscientists Associations, the President, Indian Geophysical Union, Hyderabad, Indian Society of Remote Sensing and Indian Mangrove Society. He was the Chair, Regional Integrated Multi-hazard Early Warning System (RIMES), the Vice-Chair of the Inter-Governmental Coordinating Group on Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning System (ICG-IOTWS) (2007-2011); was the President of ISRS, Dehradun, Indian Meteorological Society (IMS), New Delhi, and the Indian Society of Geomatics (ISG), Ahmedabad; was the Chairman, Indian Ocean–Global Ocean Observing System (IO-GOOS) for the term 2006-10 and the Chairman, Indian Ocean Observing System Resources Forum (IRF) (2009-2013). Dr. Nayak was the President, ISPRS Technical Commission (TC) IV on ‘Geo-databases and Digital Mapping’ for the term 2004-08. He has represented Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) in the International Ocean Colour Coordinating Group and International Global Observation Strategy-Coastal theme.

Dr. Nayak has published about 150 papers in International and National journals and deliver about 190 invited talks in national and international fora.

less