R Srikanth
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Dr.Srikanth is Professor and Dean School of Natural Sciences and Engineering, Head of the Energy and Environment Programme at NIAS. He graduated from the Indian School of Mines in 1984, and received the ISM Gold Medal in Mining Engineering. He worked in coal mines for six years before commencing research on projects funded by the US Bureau of Mines at Pennsylvania State University, where he obtained a dual PhD in Mining Engineering & Operations Research in 1996. He joined NIAS in 2016 after 20 years in industry, primarily in Tata Steel. His work experience spans across, operations, projects, strategy, and governance, while his research interests include energy studies, sustainability, minerals, public policy and management. In addition to his work at NIAS, he is actively involved with the Government of India on areas related to National Coal and Mineral Policies.
Research Areas:
• Sustainable Development in the Natural Resources Sector
• Energy Policy and Natural Resource Management
• Leadership and Organizational Development
• Management of Health, Safety and Environment
• Values and Ethics in Business
Awards:
ISM Gold Medal in Mining Engineering
Honours:
- Member, Australia – India Joint Working Group on Coal ▪ 2011 - 2012
- Member, NITI Aayog Group to prepare a Working paper on Indian Mining Sector @ 2035
- Member, NITI Aayog Working Group to develop: Strategy for New India @ 75
- Expert Member, Ministry of Coal Task Force on “Integrated Approach to Mining and Environment in Surface Coal Mines”
- Coordinator, NIAS’s flagship Sr. Executive Program • Member, Program Advisory Committee (Energy), Science & Engineering Research Board
- Member, DSIR (GOI) Technical Advisory Committee for A2K+ Studies Program
Conference Papers
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Kundu, Sudip Kumar, Harini Santhanam, and R Srikanth. 2020. “Use of Geospatial Technology for Sustainable Development of Small Scale Fisheries in India: Challenges and Way Forward”. In American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting 2020 (Virtual Meeting), American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting 2020 (Virtual Meeting), American Geophysical Union.
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Srikanth, R , A V Krishnan, and Soumyadeep Das. 2020. “Transition Path to Promote Renewable Energy by DISCOMs”. In Renewable Energy Summit, Renewable Energy Summit, New Delhi: India Energy Forum.
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Kundu, Sudip Kumar, Harini Santhanam, and R Srikanth. 2020. “A Technical Assessment of the Use of Current Geospatial Technologies to derive Marine Fishery Advisories in India and the Way Forward”. In 41st Asian Conference on Remote Sensing, ACRS 2020, 41st Asian Conference on Remote Sensing, ACRS 2020, Deqing, China.
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Santhanam, Harini , and R Srikanth. 2019. “PIT lakes as sustainable post-closure interventions for open-cast coal mines in the Indian context”. In Aqua Foundation's XIII World Aqua Congress: International Conference and Exhibition, Aqua Foundation's XIII World Aqua Congress: International Conference and Exhibition, New Delhi: Aqua Foundation's XIII World Aqua Congress.
Journal Articles
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Srikanth, R . 2018. “India's Sustainable Development Goals – Glide Path for India's Power Sector”. Energy Policy 123: 325-336. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0301421518305792.
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Srikanth, R . 2018. “Role of electric mobility in a sustainable, and energy-secure future for India”. Current Science 114(4): 732-739. http://www.currentscience.ac.in/Volumes/114/04/0732.pdf.
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Srikanth, R . 2018. “India's Steel Industry - quo vadis (Guest Editorial)”. Current Science 114(2): 243-244. http://www.currentscience.ac.in/Volumes/114/02/0243.pdf.
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Srikanth, R , and Hippu Salk Kristle Nathan. 2018. “Towards sustainable development: planning surface coal mine closures in India”. Contemporary Social Science: Journal of the Academy of Social Sciences 13(1): 30-43. http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/21582041.2017.1394484.
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Srikanth, R . 2017. “Why India Needs a National Electricity Council”. Current Science 113(7): 1233-1241. http://www.currentscience.ac.in/Volumes/113/07/1233.pdf.
Reports
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Perti, Alok , Sachdev RK, Verma VS, Partha Sarathi Bhattacharya, Prasad DN, Sumantra Bhattacharya, and R Srikanth. 2020. Report of the Expert Group on Washing of Thermal Coal is vital for India. New Delhi: Coal Preparation Society in India.
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Chauhan, Chanchal , Sameer Mishra, Sujit Swain, Harini Santhanam, and R Srikanth. 2020. Coal Mining and Environment: A Case Study of Dorli Opencast Coal Mines (NIAS/NSE/EEP/U/RR/06/ 2020). Bengaluru: National Institute of Advanced Studies.
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Kanitkar, Tejal , Nikhil Thejesh, and R Srikanth. 2020. Optimal Electricity Mix for the Southern Region: Summary Report of NIAS – MOES Workshop 17th January 2020 (NIAS/NSE/EEP/U/WR/07/2020). Bengaluru: National Institute of Advanced Studies.
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Chauhan, Chanchal , Safinaz Saif, and R Srikanth. 2019. Ambient Air Quality around Coal Mines and Thermal Power Plants in India (NIAS/NSE/EEP/RR/16/2019). Bengaluru : NIAS.
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Krishnan, A V, Shyam R Sunda, Shilpa Srivastava, and R Srikanth. 2019. Implementation of clean coal technologies to comply with "New Emission Norms" for thermal power plants - way forward for the Southern region. Summary Report of NITI Aayog-DST-NIAS Workshop, 17th September 2019. Bangalore: National Institute of Advanced Studies . http://eprints.nias.res.in/1854/.
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Srikanth, R . 2018. Earth and Human Systems: Understanding the Interaction (Report on the NIAS-MOES Workshop held at NIAS on 14 August 2018). Bengaluru: NIAS.
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Srikanth, R . 2018. NITI Aayog-NIAS Workshop on Optimal Electricity mix for India-Glide Path for India's Power Sector (NIAS Report:R66-2018). Bangalore: NIAS.
Working Papers
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Salk Kristle Nathan, Hippu , Sarvajeet Kumar Sinha, Shilpa Srivastava, Jahnavi Sharma, and R Srikanth. 2019. “Sustainability of Coal Mining: Challenges and Way Forward (Report of the Proceedings of NIAS Workshop), NIAS/NSE/EEP/U/WR/071/2019”.
Sustainable Development in the Energy and Mineral Sectors of India
Currently guiding seven PhD students carrying out inter-disciplinary research on:
o Consolidation of Laws related to Environmental Protection in Coal Mining
o Power Distribution Sector Reforms – A Study of The Hyderabad-Karnataka Region
o Air Quality and Public Health: A case study in Bengaluru
o Sustainable Options for City Transport based on First and Last Mile Connectivity
o Interlinking of rivers for Integrated Water Resources Management
o Assessment of Socio-economic Impacts of Potential Fishing Zone (PFZ) and Ocean State Forecast (OSF) Advisories For Odisha State
o Assessment of Socio-economic Impacts of Agrometeorology services in HyderabadKarnataka region
- Principal Investigator for three SERB/MOES/DST-funded research projects
- Sponsor: Tata Steel Ltd (Value: Rs. 2.5 Million) - completed Study of Learning and Development/Talent Management processes at ISRO
- Sponsor: Science & Engineering Research Board of GOI (Value: Rs. 7.47 Million)
- Interdisciplinary forays into Human-Environment interactions: An integrative research initiative in energy, ecology, and non-linear modeling
- Sponsor: Ministry of Earth Sciences of GOI (Value: Rs. 31.8 Million) – ongoing To understand the interaction between components of Earth and Human Systems at various spatial and temporal Scales.
- Sponsor: Department of Science & Technology of GOI (Rs. 15.1 Million) - ongoing To develop an Integrated Approach to Development and Environment in the Power Sector
- Special Address "Why India needs to focus on Nuclear Power to integrate 175 GW of Renewable Energy" by Prof R Srikanth at 10th Nuclear Energy Conclave, Delhi, 25 October 2018.
- Why India Needs a National Electricity Council, Department of Management Studies, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, 17 November 2017
- Member, CII Eastern Region Mining & Metals Committee and Invited Guest Speaker in workshops organized by Coal Trans, FICCI, and Brookings India
- R Srikanth "Costly solution: Careful on flue gas desulphurisers", Financial Express, 27 July 2020
- Sudha Mahalingam, Tejal Kanitkar, and R Srikanth, "A jolt to national energy security", The Hindu, 19 May 2020
- R Srikanth "Govt may do away with mandatory washing of coal for thermal power units", The Pioneer, 18 May 2020
- V P Lavanyaa and R Srikanth, "Air quality in Bengaluru improves significantly post the lockdown",The Hindu BusinessLine, 6 May 2020
- R Srikanth "How to make coal mining sustainable",The Hindu Business Line, 25 November 2019
- R Srikanth "360 degree: India must stay on its clean energy path",Asian Age, 11 June 2017
- R Srikanth "Green calling: Forests from the mines" Deccan Chronicle, 20 February 2017
- R Srikanth and Baldev Raj, "Industrial smoke levels are rising rapidly. Does India have a combat plan?" The Indian Economist, 11 November 2016
- R Srikanth and Baldev Raj, "Coal can choke your breath or light your house. What will India choose?," The Indian Economist, 10 November 2016