Professor Prem Chand Pandey

Founding Director, NCAOR, Goa

Prem Chand Pandey after completing his Ph.D. in Physics-Microwaves, in 1972, from Allahabad University, joined Central Water and Power Research Station, Khadakwasala as Research Officer. In 1977, he joined Space Applications Centre (ISRO), Ahmedabad as Scientist and continued till 1997 when he was selected for the position of Director, National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research, Goa and continued till August 2005. After superannuation from NCAOR, Goa, he joined Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur as Emeritus Professor to help set up Centre for Oceans, Rivers, Atmosphere and Land Sciences (CORAL). In 2012 he joined Indian Institute of Technology Bhubaneswar as Visiting Professor to help set up School of Earth Ocean and Climate Sciences with an Innovation Centre for Climate Change. K. Banerji Centre for Ocean and Atmosphere study (KBCAOS), Allahabad was also set up in 2000 under his leadership.

At NCAOR, he gave the overall vision and mission for the future growth of polar science in the country and focused on scientific research along with contemporary research facilities such as Ice core laboratory, Polar Remote sensing laboratory, Environmental and Biotechnology laboratories and many others at NCAOR. He launched many new initiatives such as Southern Ocean Research, a new state of the art research Station at Larseman Hills, Arctic Research, launching the expedition from South Africa etc. so that NCAOR becomes distinctive world’s leading research Centre. He has successfully led and completed large projects, notably one of the flagship programmes of Ministry of Earth Sciences on Legal Continental Shelf (LCS) and Marine Resource Development and management (MRDM) of IIT Kharagpur. Dr Pandey brought visibility of Indian Antarctic Programme by his strong representation in various International forums such as SCAR, COMNAP/SCALOP and ATCM etc. He was a member of the IPY (2007-8) planning group of ICSU/WMO.

Dr Pandey has made pioneering contributions in the field of Oceanography, Atmospheric Science, sea ice and Climate Change research. His research contributions have been incorporated in some of the Advanced Level Text Books in the field of Microwave Remote Sensing. He has published more than hundred peer reviewed research papers in thirty three research journals out of which 23 are international. He authored/edited nine books, produced four Atlases. He has supervised about a dozen Ph.D. and many M.Tech/M.Sc students. He has five innovations and copyright.

Professor Pandey received the prestigious Shanti Swarup Bhatanagar Award (SSB) in 1989 in the field of Earth’s Ocean and Atmosphere, the first recipient in the country, Vikram Sarabhai Research Award and Gold Medal, 1987 in Atmospheric Physics and Hydrology, NASA Certificate of Recognition and Cash Award, USA, 1985, Om Prakash Bhasin Award in Science and Technology, 2004, Khosla National Award from IIT Roorkee, 2007, K R Ramanathan Memorial Gold Medal, 2007 and many others. He has been elected fellow of the National Academy of Sciences, Allahabad, and The Indian Academy of Sciences, Bangalore, Indian Remote Sensing Society, India Meteorological Society, Indian Geophysical Union and many more. He has been Associate Editor of Marine Geodesy, USA and member, Editorial Board of many national journals in Oceanic and Atmospheric Science. He is also recipient of D.Sc. (h.c.) from Purvanchal University, Uttar Pradesh.