Shailesh Nayak
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Dr. Shailesh Nayak is currently Director, National Institute of Advanced Studies and Distinguished Scientist in the Ministry of Earth Sciences. He was the Chair, Earth System Science Organization (ESSO) and Secretary to the Government of India for Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES), between August 2008-2015. He provided leadership for the programmes related to science of climate change, weather services, polar science, geoscience, ocean science and modeling, ocean survey, resources, and technology.
Dr. Nayak obtained Ph. D. degree in Geology from the M.S University of Baroda in 1980. He joined the Space Applications Centre, (ISRO) in 1978 as a scientist, and subsequently elevated as the Director of Marine and Water Resources. He was mainly responsible for conceptualizing, formulating and executing many national level projects related to application of satellite data on ocean color, integrated coastal zone management, snow and glacier studies and water resources and developed potential fishing zone services.
Dr. Nayak was appointed as the Director, Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS), Hyderabad, an autonomous institution under ESSO, in May 2006. At ESSO-INCOIS, he set up a state-of-the-art Early Warning System for Tsunami and Storm Surges in the Indian Ocean. He was responsible for the conceptualization and development of Marine GIS. He made outstanding contributions in improving advisory services related to potential fishing zones, ocean state forecast, and Indian Argo project.
Dr Nayak is the Chair, National SCAR Committee, Indian National Science Academy, New Delhi, Research Advisory Committees of the CSIR-National Environmental Engineering Research Institute, Nagpur, ESSO-National Antarctic and Ocean Research Centre, Goa and Defense Terrain Research Laboratory, Delhi. He has chaired an expert group and conceptualized to establish National GIS in the country and been member of many national committees related to earth science, coastal protection, mangrove, coral reef, and coastal zone management.
Dr. Nayak is Fellow of the Indian Academy of Sciences, Bengaluru, the National Academy of Sciences, India, Allahabad, the International Society of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ISPRS), and Academician of the International Academy of Astronautics, Paris. He has been awarded honorary degree of Doctor of Science by the Andhra University, Assam University and Amity University. Dr. Nayak is recipient of IGU - Hari Narain Lifetime Achievement Award in Geosciences-2013, the ISCA Vikram Sarabhai Memorial Award 2012, the Bhaskara Award for 2009.Dr Nayak has been awarded Lifetime Achievement Award (India Geospatial Leadership Award) for outstanding contributions to the development and dissemination of Geospatial Technologies in India by the Geospatial Media and Communication, New Delhi in February 2019. Eleven students have obtained Ph. D. under his supervision.
He is the President of the Federation of Indian Geoscientists Associations, Indian Geophysical Union, Indian Society of Remote Sensing and Indian Mangrove Society. He was the President, International Geological Congress, the Chair, Regional Integrated Multi-hazard Early Warning System, the Vice-Chair of the Inter-Governmental Coordinating Group on Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning System; Indian Ocean–Global Ocean Observing System and Indian Ocean Observing System Resources Forum. Dr. Nayak was the President, ISPRS Technical Commission IV on ‘Geo-databases and Digital Mapping’ for the term 2004-08.
Dr. Nayak has published about 150 papers in peer-reviewed journalsand deliver about 190 invited talks in national and international fora.
Book Chapters
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Behera, Anshuman , and Shailesh Nayak. 2022. “Gandhi in the Twenty First Century: Ideas and Relevance. Singapore”. In Gandhi in the Twenty First Century: Ideas and Relevance, Gandhi in the Twenty First Century: Ideas and Relevance, Singapore: Springer Nature, 3-16. https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-981-16-8476-0_1.
Books
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Behera, Anshuman , and Shailesh Nayak. 2022. Gandhi in the Twenty First Century: Ideas and Relevance. Springer. https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-981-16-8476-0#about-book-content.
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Behera, Anshuman , and Shailesh Nayak. 2022. Gandhi in the Twenty First Century: Ideas and Relevance. Singapore: Springer Nature. https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-981-16-8476-0.
Journal Articles
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Hedge, Venkatraman S, Shailesh Nayak, Girish K Huchchannavar, P A Krishnaprasad, A S Rajawat, G Shalini, S Jayakumar, Kanchanagouri D Gosavi, and Lavanya G Hedge. 2022. “Meso-scale, foreshore evolution in low-energy, storm-dominated tropical west coast of India: Implications for shoreline management”. Journal of Earth System Science 131 Article No. 26. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12040-021-01773-1.
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Nayak, Shailesh , and Shalini Dixit. 2021. “Women in leadership: Achieving sustainable future in a post-COVID-19 world”. Current Science 121(7): 880-881. https://www.currentscience.ac.in/Volumes/121/07/0880.pdf.
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Nayak, Shailesh . 2021. “On the Challenge of Plastic Wastes and Litter in Oceans: Some Policy Reflections”. Environment Policy and Law 51(4): 235-238. https://content.iospress.com/articles/environmental-policy-and-law/epl210048.
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Nayak, Shailesh . 2021. “Preface”. Journal of Earth System Science 130 Article 212. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs12040-021-01726-8#citeas.
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Nayak, Shailesh . 2021. “Addressing resilience to cyclones – a perspective”. Current Science 120(2 ): 247-248 .
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Nayak, Shailesh , and D Suba Chandran. 2020. “Arctic: why India should pursue the North Pole from a science and technology perspective?”. Current Science 119(6): 901-904. https://www.currentscience.ac.in/Volumes/119/06/0901.pdf.
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Nayak, Shailesh . 2020. “Remote Sensing for National Development: The Legacy of Dr. Vikram Sarabhai”. Journal of the Indian Society of Remote Sensing. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12524-020-01156-x#citeas.
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Nayak, Shailesh . 2020. “Awakening to Crises of the TB Endemic”. TBInfo 1 (1 ). http://tbinfo.org/sites/default/files/2020-05/Awakening%20to%20Crises%20of%20the%20TB%20Endemic%20by%20Shailesh%20Nayak_2.pdf.
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Nayak, Shailesh . 2020. “Charting a new course for the oceans- Preface to the Special Section on "Sustainable ocean technologies"”. Current Science 118(11): 1679-1680. https://www.currentscience.ac.in/Volumes/118/11/1679.pdf.
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Nayak, Shailesh . 2020. “Towards Blue Economy: A Perspective”. Indian Journal of Geosciences 74(3): 191-196. http://eprints.nias.res.in/2013/.
Policy Brief
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Beig, Gufran , R. Srikanth, and Shailesh Nayak. 2021. “Air Quality, National Standards and Human Health in India”. : 4.
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PG, Diwakar , and Shailesh Nayak. 2021. “Satellite Remote Sensing Data Policy: Benefits of Free & Open Data (NIAS/NSE/U/PB/04/2021)”.
- Blue Economy, Underwater Domain Awareness and Maritime Security Challenges for India
- Advances in Earth System Science and their Societal Benefits, 6 Sep 2021. (Distinguished Lecture Series)
- How do Scientists Predict the Weather?, 13 Oct 2020 (Public Lecture)
- Transformation Towards Sustainability, 3 Apr 2019 (NIAS Wednesday Talk)
- NIAS is Emerging as an Acclaimed Think-Tank on Space, GIS Issues", Drilling & Exploration World: The Complete Energy Journal, 27(11). September 2018 (DEW Talks)
- Better Understanding Geological and Geophysical Observations of the Himalayas Needed", Drilling & Exploration World: The Complete Energy Journal, 27(9). July 2018 (DEW Talks)
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Shailesh Nayak, "Ocean of hope: Time we explored the blue economy", The Asian Age, 12 June 2018