Ph.D. (Physics)

  2006

Indian Institute of Science (Joint Astronomy Programme), Bangalore, India (2006) & National Centre for Radio Astrophysics - Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (NCRA-TIFR), Pune, India

M.Sc. (Physics)

  1997

Sambalpur University, Odisha, India

B.Sc. (Physics Hons.)

  1995

Sonepur College, Sambalpur University

Multi-wavelength (UV, optical, IR, radio) observational investigation of black hole-galaxy co-evolution in the Cosmic web. Special emphasis on Indian competitiveness like Giant Meterwave Radio telescope (GMRT) and citizen-science research using large population of science-educated Indians (Reference:  RAD@home Astronomy Collaboratory, India, #RADathomeindia #ABCDresearch

I was born and brought up in Sonepur (Subarnapur), western Odisha, Odisha, India. Education: Adarsha U G M E School, Sonepur College. Sambalpur University. I got my Ph.D.  (Physics (Astronomy & Astrophysics)) from Indian Institute of Science  (IISc; Bengaluru) & National Centre for Radio Astrophysics of the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (NCRA-TIFR; Pune), India in 2006. After my 5 years postdoctoral research in Academia Sinica Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics (ASIAA; Taiwan), I joined UM-DAE CEBS in Dec 2012. I was promoted to Reader-F in August 2013 through an international expert review (for a Regular Faculty position) which has the approval from the Governing Council of UM-DAE CEBS.

Since June 2014, I am University Grant Commission (UGC) Assistant Professor in UM-DAE CEBS as CEBS authorities requested UGC to re-appoint me and two others in UM-DAE CEBS. This UGC position is a Regular faculty position created by mission Faculty Recharge Programme of UGC-Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD, Govt of India). UGC provides me monthly salary and start-up-grant to establish my Nationwide Inter-University Citizen Science Research ( #RADatHomeIndia ) using GMRT, as presented in my job interview(s).

I am a Member of the Principal Scientific Adviser’s Consultative Group to advise the Govt of India on various matters of policy relating to science and society (I am coordinator of astronomy sub-group).

One of the three, who has been awarded "Samanta Chandrasekhar Jyotirbigyani Sanman" by SCAAA at IOP, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India Ref: https://goo.gl/PYjV97

Felicitated by Honorable Chief Minister, Govt of  Odisha (Shri Naveen Patanaik) for my astronomical discoveries and my role as founding Director and Principal Investigator of RAD@home for citizen-science research with the GMRT.

Reference https://goo.gl/2gdC3e

For the same reason, I have been felicitated by the Director of Indian Institute for Science Education and Research (IISER, Kolkata), Prof Sourav Pal (17th Aug 2019), in front of a gathering of ~130 students/scientists.

Similarly I have been felicitated by  Director, IISER-Berhampur for my leadership and contributions to Citizen Science Research in India in the field of astronomy and astrophysics. This was during an ODRAW with 155 participants on 19th Oct. 2019

Elected Member of The International Astronomical Union (IAU, Paris), My RAD@home fits their mandate of Office of Astronomy for Development (South Africa) www.iau.org

Associate member of the Square Kilometre Array (SKA), Extragalactic Continuum (galaxies/AGN, galaxy clusters) working group. SKA, head-quartered in UK, is an international observatory with India as a partner country (Mega-project of India funded through DAE & DST). This will be the world’s largest radio telescope to explore the Universe.

Reviewer/referee for Time Allocation Committees of GMRT, AstroSat, DOT telescopes and for international journals MNRAS Letter, A&A with impact factors 5.231 and 6.209, respectively.

PI of successful research proposals in GMRT, VLA, XMM-Newton, AstroSat, SMA, ALMA, Subaru, CFHT, KISO, HCT, Lulin …

Research Publications:  https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=paxEpRcAAAAJ&hl=en

Total citations= 360, h-index=11, i10 index=13

*** International Press Releases and news on three of my Discoveries (Exotic galaxy Speca, Cosmic Leaf-blower galaxy, A blue supergiant star the farthest star (Each of these 3 news created nearly 3 Lakhs Google hits))

1. http://www.nasa.gov/centers/jpl/news/galex20120403.html

2. http://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=121556

3. http://www.ncra.tifr.res.in/ncra/outreach/press-releases/gmrt-discovers-an-exotic-galaxy-revealing-tantalizing-tale

4. http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,2111311,00.html

5. http://www.naoj.org/Pressrelease/2013/04/10/index.html

RAD@home, India (www.radathomeindia.org) is the only Indian Citizen-science research project in astronomy since April 2013. It is a zero-funded zero-infrastructure nation-wide inter-university collaboratory of 150+ trained citizen-scientists or e-astronomers and a dozen professional astronomers. Over thousand citizens have been trained on the basic multi-wavelength extragalactic astronomy ( #RGBviaNASAnRADatHomeIndia ) by the Collaboratory. We always welcome external cash/kind support from any individual/institution, both Govt/Pvt, for our citizen-science research with the GMRT telescope, the largest such in the world, and pride of the nation. RAD has received institutional (infrastructural/financial) support from Vigyan Samagam (SKA-India Consortium, DAE, DST, NCSM, Govt of India), ICTS-TIFR, IOP, IISc, HRI, NISER, UM-DAE CEBS, Nehru Planetarium (Delhi), Vigyan Prasar (DST), IISER (Kolkata & Berhampur), IIT-BHU (Varanasi), St. Stephens College (Delhi University), Govt of Odisha, Tata Steel, SCAAA, SKA-India Consortium, GTAC (GMRT/NCRA-TIFR), NIAS etc.  Motto: Any BSc/BE Can Do research using GMRT sitting at home anywhere in India by joining RAD@home free of cost.  #ABCDresearch #RADatHomeIndia  Internationally Published Journal Paper at http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2016JApA...37...41H

Press/News release from ISW, Vigyan Prasar, DST, Govt. of India on RAD@home is here http://vigyanprasar.gov.in/isw/inspired_bollywood_flick_power_facebook_indian_scientist_builds_army_e-astronomers_story.html

Nature Index has chosen RAD@home, 1 of 3 globally, and highlighted in an article on citizen science research. This was also highlighted by the international SKA Observatory (UK) in their magazine Contact. The article is available here go.nature.com/2ZJraif
The Brochure of RAD@home can be found here  https://goo.gl/bVrb8w

NIISS: I lead the NIISS collaboration (India) which stands for Nationwide Inter-University Interdisciplinary Scientists for Society. It is a collaboration of 50+ young scientists from all over India. Follow us on Twitter @NiissIndia and Like to stay Connected with our Page https://www.facebook.com/NIISScollaborationIndia/

QASTRO: Conceived, designed and coordinated almost single-handedly QASTRO-contest of SKA-week programme in Vigyan Samagam in Mumbai, Bangalore and Kolkata. https://www.facebook.com/QastroSKAindia/

SARP: Conceived, designed and coordinated almost single-handedly Summer Associate Research Programme (SARP) of UM-DAE CEBS for 4 years. Out of 700 applicants, 50 have been selected and got experience in research. It encourages participation from remote Universities and underdeveloped regions of India. https://www.facebook.com/SARPatCEBS/  Students name and other project details of #SARPatCEBS are listed at http://goo.gl/VYLM2t

#eAstroLab: A brief note on my UGC-funded #eAstroLab @ UM-DAE CEBS is available here. We also plan to build an ASTRO observatory and CEBS Radio Telescope System when the requested DAE-funding and human resource support is approved  https://goo.gl/qMpSmP

S3N3_India: Co-founder of a popular science outreach Page in social media with ~13 thousand Like/subscribers from all over India. This can be compared, though of different nature, to Facebook Likes of Vigyan Samagam (14k), Vigyan Prasar (8.5k), Chai and Why-TIFR (8.7k), ICTS-KwK (11k), India Science Wire (11k), Science reporter magazine (24k)...
https://www.facebook.com/S3N3.India/