Mr. Eros Sunny, Project Associate, SERB, DST Project (Power Grant Scheme).
The Complex Systems Programme focuses on interdisciplinary, frontier research based on principles of nonlinear dynamics. A highlight of work achieved over the past year includes the construction of a dynamical model for animal movement in a resource-abundant human-modified landscape. This was validated with radio telemetry data of hornbills – simulations of hornbill flight ranges agreed very well with field observations.
Dr. Janaki Balakrishnan anchors the Complex Systems Programme in the School of Natural Sciences & Engineering at NIAS. She obtained her PhD in Theoretical High Energy Physics from the University of Delhi. She has subsequently worked and published in a wide range of areas covering many diverse areas of physics, ranging from quantum field theory in curved space and theoretical high energy physics to dynamical systems theory and biological physics. She was an Associate Professor of Physics at the Central University of Hyderabad for several years before moving to Bangalore. Earlier she has held Visiting and other positions at various places including the Institute of Mathematical Sciences, Chennai, Centre for Artificial Intelligence & Robotics (CAIR), Bangalore, CMMACS, Bangalore, JNCASR, Indian Institute of Science, Raman Research Institute, The University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, U.K., Max-Planck Institute for Mathematics in the Sciences, Leipzig, Germany, the Max-Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems, Dresden, Germany, etc.
P G Diwakar is currently ISRO Chair Professor at NIAS since November 2020. He has retired as Distinguished Scientist from ISRO, Department of Space and has held many key positions in the past such as the following:
Head, Regional Remote Sensing Centre, Bangalore
Associate Director, Earth Observation System, ISRO HQ, Bangalore
Programme Director, Earth Observation System, ISRO HQ, Bangalore
Deputy Director, National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC), Hyderabad
Scientific Secretary, ISRO, Bengaluru
Director, Earth Observation & Disaster Management
Prof. Diwakar has made significant contributions in Diverse National Missions; Web technologies & GeoPortals such as the design, development and deployment of a unique and the only Geoportal of National reckoning, “THE BHUVAN GEOPORTAL”. He has played a key role in leading a professional ISRO team, in successfully accomplishing the task in a short time. Bhuvan is a prominent National Geospatial Platform today
The authors propose a “Sustainable Coal Mining (SCM) Bill” to constitute a unified authority named “Coal Mines Environment Authority” to enhance the effectiveness, efficiency, and transparency of the environmental regulation of coal mines. Besides the draft SCM Bill, the authors also explain the enabling amendments required in the existing environment, forest, and mining Laws to enact the SCM Bill.
This report describes the research conducted by NIAS to develop an optimal transition plan for India’s power sector and concludes with policy recommendations for an orderly transition to a more environment-friendly generation mix for South India by 2030.