Residence India Known for Atmospheric Science | Nationality Indian Alma mater Andhra University | |
Organization Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology | ||
Panuganti China Sattilingam Devara, also known as P. C. S. Devara is an Indian atmospheric scientist and physicist who has worked primarily in lidar (light radar) technology, radio and optical remote sensing, climatology, atmospheric aerosols and climate dynamics. A pioneer in establishing lidar technology applications in the country, he has authored around 511 research papers and is also the President of Indian Aerosol Science and Technology Association (IASTA), India.
Contents
Professor Devara has a career spanning 37 years of experience in atmospheric science and research, which includes 35 years at Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), where he was a Scientist of applied division before taking over as Acting or Officiating Director of IITM (Pune) in 1990. He led IITM till 2009, and was then appointed the scientific advisor to this organization. Currently he is heading Amity Centre of Oceanic- Atmospheric Science & Technology (Amity COAST) at Amity University Haryana (AUH), Gurgaon.
Early life and education
Professor Devara graduated in Physics from Andhra University with a recognized first class. Prof. Devara obtained his Post Graduate Degree in Physics from Andhra University in 1974. He later received his Doctorate Degree in Physics from Andhra University in 1979 under the guidance of Prof. Md. Iqhbal Ahmed.
Research and career
Prof. Devara has worked in research fields related to atmospheric optics and radiation, remote sensing, characterization of atmospheric aerosols and trace gases, and aerosol-cloud climate interactions. He has made contributions in the development of both optical and radar remote sensing techniques for the study of aerosols, trace gases and state variables, for understanding their crucial role in weather and climate processes.
After completion of his Ph.D. in 1979, under the guidance of Prof. Md. Iqhbal Ahmed, Devara received a “Young Scientist” award from the Government of Andhra Pradesh Akademi of Sciences. In 1980, he joined IITM as Senior Scientific Officer, where he headed the Physical Meteorology and Aerology (PM&A) Division in the institute for many years. He took charge as Director (Officiating) of the Institution in 2005, and then served as an advisor until 2014.
As of 2016 he has published over 511 research papers in total, approximately 226 in peer reviewed journals, 42 in text books, 11 Scientific Reports and around 232 papers in Conference Proceedings. He has completed projects as PI and Co-Pi such as in Aerosol-Chemistry Climate Interactions, Aerosol Characterization, mass-size distribution of Black Carbon, among 26 other projects in collaboration with national scientific organizations- ISRO, DST, MoES, NCAOR, etc; and international organizations like NASA, CEReS, RSF, NSF, UoM, IE etc.
In 2016, during the Odd-Even Campaign in New Delhi, he led a team of students and scientists in collaboration with ARIES, Nainital and IITM-Delhi to assess the efficacy of the campaign.