Brief Biography:-

Academic Profile:

M.Sc. (Physics) Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi

Ph.D (Physics) University of Bombay, Mumbai

Research Profile:

Joined immediately after M.Sc. the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai in August 1976 and appointed a regular academic staff in August 1978.

Post Ph.D granted long-term leave to work on challenging research projects at the University of Maryland, College Park, U.S.A. during 1983-86. Worked at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory near Chicago and Los Alamos National Laboratory in Los Alamos studying high energy jet production and very high energy γ-rays from compact binaries. During 1996-1998, spent two years working on a near space experiment ISOMAX at the Goddard Space Flight Center of NASA, Greenbelt, USA at their invitation. He flew a payload of 4 tons onboard a stratospheric balloon to measure the presence of radio-active beryllium among high energy particles.

During the past three decades he worked on the GRAPES-3 experiment at Ooty and developed several new detection techniques and instruments which have applications beyond basic sciences especially in the areas of atomic energy and space sciences. He led GRAPES-3 experiment as PI during past two decades until retirement in January 2020. Spread over 40 acres GRAPES-3 is the largest astroparticle physics facility in India and a leading centre in the world. The large muon detector is the most sensitive instrument in the world, far superior to similar facilities in China and elsewhere. The scientific potential of GRAPES-3 has attracted active participation of 10 Japanese and 20 Indian scientists from different universities and institutions. A large number of Indian and Japanese students have completed or are working towards their Ph.D by using GRAPES-3 data. Astroparticle Physics has been identified as a thrust area by the DAE and DST of GOI because of its importance for space weather and atmospheric phenomena.

He had initiated a program of skill development of high technology instrumentation involving ultra-fast electronic systems and web-based software tools in 2010. As a result during the past ten years approximately 200 engineering students in final year of B.E. were trained in cutting edge technology resulting in the development of state of the art instrumentation in the above mentioned areas.

Membership of National and International Bodies:

(1) Life Member Astronomical Society of India

(2) Elected Member of International Astronomical Union (IAU), Paris in 1992

(3) Elected Member of National Academy of Sciences of India, Allahabad in 2008

(4) Elected Member of Commission C4 on Astroparticle Physics of IUPAP in 2011

(5) Elected Member of International Emulsion Chamber Committee in 2012

(6) Elected Chairman of Commission C4 on Astroparticle Physics of IUPAP in 2017

Scientific Talks and Conferences:

He has been regularly delivering talks at national and international scientific conferences as well as at popular level to students. He has been organising scientific conferences for a long time that attract large international participation and also winter schools to train Indian science and engineering students into experimental aspects of research. He is also a sought after invited speaker at national and international level.