Events Calendar
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India on the Moon: Challenges and Science
Wednesday 22 April 2026, 10:00am
Anil Bhardwaj (Director, PRL Ahmedabad)
Location : LH3, Lecture Hall Complex
About the Speaker: Prof. Anil Bhardwaj is the Director of Physical Research Laboratory in Ahmedabad. After MSc from Lucknow University, and PhD from IIT-BHU, Prof. Bhardwaj joined the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) in 1993 at Space Physics Laboratory (SPL) of Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), Trivandrum, where he initiated research in planetary sciences 3 decades back. He was the Director of SPL-VSSC during 2014-2017. He also worked at NASA Marshall Space Flight Centre for ~2 years during 2004-2005 as Senior Research Associate of US National Science Academy.
His research field is planetary and space sciences, and solar system exploration. Experiments developed by his team have been flown on every planetary mission of India, starting from Chandrayaan-1, to Mangalyaan, to Chandrayaan-2, Chandrayaan-3 Vikram Lander and Pragyan Rover, and Aditya-L1 mission. He has published over 240 peer-reviewed papers and book chapters, and supervised several PhD, MTech, MPhil, MSc, BTech students. He leads the planning of Indian planetary missions.
Prof. Bhardwaj has played leadership roles in international organizations, editor/editorial board member of reputed journals, Chair of several national committees, and member of Governing Council of a number of elite research institutions. He is the Founding-President of Indian Planetary Science Association (IPSA), and Board of Trustees of International Academy of Astronautics.
Prof. Bhardwaj has received many national and international awards and honours, including the two most coveted science awards in India – Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize (2007) and Infosys Prize in Physical Science (2016). He is an elected Fellow of all three National Science Academies in India, as well as Fellow of Asia Oceania Geosciences Society. A Distinguished Alumni Awardee of IIT-BHU and Lucknow University, ISRO honoured him with their highest in-service award – the Outstanding Achievement Award in 2017. His recent international awards include 2024 Vikram Sarabhai Medal of COSPAR, and 2024 Basic Sciences Section Award of the International Academy of Astronautics.
He is listed in the Book “100 Great IITian Dedicated to the Service of Nation”, published in 2024.
A Chapter "A Rocket to Poke Martians" on the Life and work of Prof. Anil Bhardwaj is published in Children’s Book "They Made What?" (2021).
His research field is planetary and space sciences, and solar system exploration. Experiments developed by his team have been flown on every planetary mission of India, starting from Chandrayaan-1, to Mangalyaan, to Chandrayaan-2, Chandrayaan-3 Vikram Lander and Pragyan Rover, and Aditya-L1 mission. He has published over 240 peer-reviewed papers and book chapters, and supervised several PhD, MTech, MPhil, MSc, BTech students. He leads the planning of Indian planetary missions.
Prof. Bhardwaj has played leadership roles in international organizations, editor/editorial board member of reputed journals, Chair of several national committees, and member of Governing Council of a number of elite research institutions. He is the Founding-President of Indian Planetary Science Association (IPSA), and Board of Trustees of International Academy of Astronautics.
Prof. Bhardwaj has received many national and international awards and honours, including the two most coveted science awards in India – Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize (2007) and Infosys Prize in Physical Science (2016). He is an elected Fellow of all three National Science Academies in India, as well as Fellow of Asia Oceania Geosciences Society. A Distinguished Alumni Awardee of IIT-BHU and Lucknow University, ISRO honoured him with their highest in-service award – the Outstanding Achievement Award in 2017. His recent international awards include 2024 Vikram Sarabhai Medal of COSPAR, and 2024 Basic Sciences Section Award of the International Academy of Astronautics.
He is listed in the Book “100 Great IITian Dedicated to the Service of Nation”, published in 2024.
A Chapter "A Rocket to Poke Martians" on the Life and work of Prof. Anil Bhardwaj is published in Children’s Book "They Made What?" (2021).
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