Governing Council

Dr. Mukesh Sharma is a distinguished environmental and air pollution expert and Professor Emeritus in the Department of Civil Engineering at IIT Kanpur. He is a Fellow of the Indian National Academy of Engineering and has served as a member of the World Health Organization (WHO) Global Air Pollution and Health Technical Advisory Group. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Indore, a Master's degree from IIT Kanpur, and a Ph.D. from the University of Waterloo, Canada (1994). Before joining IIT Kanpur in 1997, he worked with the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Delhi, and has also served as a Visiting Professor at the University of Guelph, Canada, and Kyoto University, Japan.

His major areas of expertise include air quality monitoring, modelling and management, exposure assessment, air pollution mitigation, and environmental health. He has published and presented more than 140 research papers and has provided expert advice to international organisations including WHO, UNEP, World Bank, ICCT and Clean Air Asia. His significant contributions include the development of the National Air Quality Index and formulation of National Ambient Air Quality Standards. His work has been recognised by leading international media and journals including Nature, Science, The Economist, BBC, Time Magazine, and Wall Street Journal.

Dr. Sharma has received several prestigious awards, including the Air Quality Research Lifetime Achievement Award (2020), Vasvik Award for Environmental Science & Technology (2019), Kong Ha Award in Air Quality (2012), Hiyoshi Environmental Award (2012), JSPS Fellowship (1998) and the Ministry of Environment, Ontario Award for Excellence in Research and Technology Development (1994).

He has served on several national expert committees related to air quality management, emission inventories, vehicular pollution, ozone pollution, the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP), Indo-Gangetic Plain Airshed management and pollution mitigation. He has also been associated with committees of CAQM, CPCB, DPCC and the Ministry of Environment, Government of India, and has been nominated to the National Board for Wildlife (NBWL).

Dr. Harish Hirani is an accomplished academic, researcher and institutional leader with extensive experience in higher education, R&D management, institutional governance, technology transfer, infrastructure development, financial management and industry engagement. He is currently serving as the Director of Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Petroleum Technology (RGIPT) and has earlier served as the Director of CSIR–Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute (CSIR-CMERI) from 2016 to 2022. He has also served as Vice Chairman, JEE Advanced, IIT Delhi, President of the CSIR Sports Promotion Board and Chairman of the CSIR RA/JRF Selection Committee.

As Director of CSIR-CMERI, Dr. Hirani strengthened research infrastructure, scientific and administrative systems and technology-transfer activities. During his tenure, the institute recorded approximately 600 projects, 300 IPRs and 600 publications, while technology transfers reached 134. He also played a key role in infrastructure development, resource mobilization, recruitment and organizational restructuring. At RGIPT, he has initiated outcome-oriented academic reforms, industry-aligned programs, curriculum benchmarking, Energy Sustainability with AI/ML initiatives, Diploma-to-Degree pathways and integrated waste-management practices across campuses.

Dr. Hirani is a prolific researcher in Tribology, Mechanical Engineering, Surface Engineering, Sustainable Technologies and Innovation. His academic portfolio includes 134 Scopus-indexed publications, 46 patents, 33 design registrations and 67 copyrights. He has led/advised research and consultancy projects worth approximately ₹35 crore and facilitated technology transfer to MSMEs. He has also contributed extensively to professional training, NPTEL education, invited lectures and scientific outreach.

He is the author of three single-author books published by Cambridge University Press and CRC Press/Taylor & Francis and has contributed chapters to the ASM Handbook. He has taught 18 UG/PG courses and supervised Ph.D. and M.Tech. scholars. His contributions have been recognized through several prestigious honours, including Eminent Engineering Personality, Eminent Engineer, Outstanding Engineering and Distinguished Contribution to Tribo-Design. He was also a BOYSCAST Fellow at MIT, USA, and has been recognized among the world's top 2% scientists in recent Stanford/Elsevier-linked rankings.

Dr. Hirani is a Fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) and Fellow of The Institution of Engineers (India). His career reflects a strong combination of academic excellence, scientific innovation, institutional leadership, technology commercialization and nation-building through engineering and education.

Prof. R. K. Mall is a distinguished academic, researcher and policy expert with around 35 years of professional experience in climate change, disaster risk management, simulation and crop-climate modelling, sustainable development, digital technologies, agro-advisory services and poverty alleviation. He is presently the Coordinator of the DST-Mahamana Centre of Excellence in Climate Change Research and Professor In-charge of the Sponsored Research and Industrial Consultancy Cell (SRICC), Banaras Hindu University, and has earlier served as Dean and Head of the Institute of Environment & Sustainable Development, BHU. He has also held visiting academic and research positions at reputed international institutions including the Australian National University, Michigan State University, ICTP Italy, University of Bristol, UK, and University of Hong Kong.

A major achievement of Prof. Mall is the establishment and leadership of the DST-Mahamana Centre of Excellence in Climate Change Research at BHU, developed with state-of-the-art facilities under the National Action Plan on Climate Change. He has handled 25 externally funded research projects with a cumulative financial outlay of approximately ₹28 crore, supported by national and international agencies including DST, MoES, UNDP, UNISDR, ICIMOD, IMD, SAARC Disaster Management Centre and other government institutions. He has supervised 14 Ph.D., 24 M.Tech., 12 M.Phil. and 46 M.Sc. students, and has visited more than 26 countries for research, academic collaborations, policy advisory and international scientific engagements.

Prof. Mall has published 144 research papers in national and international journals, with more than 7,500 citations, an h-index of 42 and i10-index of 115. He has authored, edited or contributed to 21 policy documents and monographs for organizations including SAARC, UNISDR, UNDP, GIZ, IPCC and various Government of India and State Government agencies. His research has contributed to the development of social, economic and environmental vulnerability models for India and South Asia, supporting regional planning, climate adaptation and disaster-risk reduction. He has served as a consultant and policy adviser to Central and State Governments, UN agencies and international organizations and represented India in several Asian Ministerial and Global Platforms on Disaster Risk Reduction.

Prof. Mall is a recipient of the Regular Associate and Senior Associate Awards of ICTP, Italy, and the CAS-TWAS Scholar Fellowship. He is an elected Fellow of the National Academy of Sciences, India (NASI) and the Indian Geophysical Union. His career reflects a strong combination of scientific research, academic leadership, climate-policy expertise, international collaboration and contribution to sustainable and resilient development.

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Imteyaz Ali is a distinguished environmental innovator, waste-management expert and social entrepreneur from Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, with over three decades of experience in sustainable waste management, community empowerment, environmental education and urban sanitation. Born into a modest family, his early exposure to the challenges faced by waste-picker communities inspired his lifelong commitment to environmental sustainability, human dignity and social justice. He served as a Senior Research Officer at RCVP Noronha Academy of Administration, Government of Madhya Pradesh, and later founded Sarthak, inspired by Nanaji Deshmukh, to promote dignified livelihoods and sustainable urban sanitation.

Imteyaz Ali has pioneered several innovative waste-management solutions, including the Multi-Level Plastic Collection System, which contributed to the development of India's Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016, and the Plastic Roads Initiative, which supported the use of recycled plastic in approximately 18,000 km of roads. He has promoted Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs) to formalize and empower waste-picker communities and developed Zero-Waste Event models that process waste at source, reducing landfill dependency and carbon emissions. His waste-to-resource innovations include liquid fertilizer from human hair, E-Waste Clinics and E-Waste Ambulances, while his work on plastic co-firing with coal pioneered an approach subsequently adopted in cement and thermal industries.

A strong advocate of community-led development, Imteyaz Ali has trained more than 80,000 youth and community members through workshops, seminars and capacity-building programmes. Many of those trained have subsequently established waste-management enterprises, generating employment and entrepreneurship opportunities. His "Cooperative Care" model has supported the formal integration and dignified employment of waste collectors, particularly women, while his Bhopal Model combines technical innovation, institutional partnerships and community participation and has been replicated across thousands of cities.

His expertise has received national and international recognition, including technical and advisory engagements with UNDP, Coca-Cola, Indian Institute of Packaging, World Bank/GEF and international delegations. He has provided guidance on waste and animal-waste management in Gulf countries and Nepal and has contributed to major national initiatives including the Swachh Bharat Mission and Plastic Waste Management Rules. He has also served on State Waste Management Advisory Committees and as a Court Member of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU).

Recipient of 14 national and international awards, Imteyaz Ali's career represents a unique combination of grassroots innovation, technical expertise, environmental leadership, social empowerment and policy contribution. His work demonstrates how waste can be transformed into a resource while creating dignified livelihoods and sustainable communities, making his approach a scalable model for circular economy, inclusive urban development and environmental sustainability.

Shri S. K. Gupta is a distinguished entrepreneur, environmental technologist and pioneer in air-quality monitoring, recognized for his significant contribution to developing India's indigenous air-pollution monitoring instruments since the early 1980s. His efforts played an important role in expanding air-pollution monitoring capabilities across India and strengthening indigenous technical capacity in the environmental sector. He initiated hands-on training programmes in air-quality monitoring to build technical competence and confidence among environmental professionals and has worked closely with leading national academic and research institutions to develop indigenous technologies, infrastructure and expertise.

Shri Gupta has also made important contributions to river conservation and environmental protection. Working closely with the late Prof. G. D. Agrawal, he contributed to efforts aimed at maintaining the uninterrupted flow of the River Ganga and developed deep expertise in the protection, conservation and rejuvenation of rivers. His work reflects a strong commitment to combining technology, scientific knowledge and environmental stewardship for sustainable development.

He is presently the Chairman of Envirotech Instruments Pvt. Ltd., one of India's leading producers of air-quality monitoring systems, and is the Founding Secretary of the Delhi Chapter of the Indian Association for Air Pollution Control. He is also the Founder and Mission Advisor of the Global Council of Environment and Health Inc., an organization working towards ensuring clean air and protecting public health globally. In recognition of his expertise in air-quality management, he was appointed as a Member of the Commission for Air Quality Management in National Capital Region and adjoining areas, constituted by the Government of India.

For his outstanding contribution to environmental protection and air-quality

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Details will be updated soon.

Profile description will be updated soon.

Dr. Munna Lal Patel is a senior Environmental Management and Pollution Control professional with over 36 years of extensive experience in environmental regulation, pollution control, waste management, environmental assessment and sustainable development. He served the Madhya Pradesh Pollution Control Board (MPPCB) from 1987 until his retirement in November 2023, holding senior positions including Assistant Engineer, Executive Engineer and Superintending Engineer, and worked as Regional Officer at Sagar, Singrauli and Jabalpur. He also served at the MPPCB Head Office, handling technical, administrative and financial responsibilities and coordinating the State Level Expert Appraisal Committee (SEAC), Madhya Pradesh.

Dr. Patel holds a B.E. in Civil Engineering, M.Tech. in Foundation Engineering/Advanced Soil Mechanics and a Ph.D. in Civil Engineering with specialization in Environmental Management. His professional expertise includes implementation and enforcement of environmental laws, Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), project appraisal and clearance, industrial pollution control, air and water pollution management, municipal solid waste, plastic waste, hazardous waste, biomedical waste and e-waste management, as well as environmental planning and regulatory compliance. He has extensive experience in project preparation, pollution-load assessment, environmental inspections, public hearings, river-cleaning projects, sewage management, financial management, policy implementation and coordination with government departments, industries, local authorities and the public.

He has also worked extensively as an environmental expert, resource person, trainer and guest faculty, delivering lectures and conducting workshops on environmental regulations, plastic waste management, municipal solid waste, air pollution, EIA and sustainable development for government institutions, universities, industries and professional organizations. His research work includes several publications in national and international journals on municipal solid waste management, plastic waste, environmental status, pollution assessment and sustainable waste-management solutions.

Dr. Patel possesses strong technical, administrative, research, project management, environmental planning, communication and coordination skills. His professional objective is to utilize his extensive experience and knowledge to support environmental protection, sustainable development, effective environmental governance and innovative zero-waste solutions, while maintaining a practical balance between development and ecological sustainability.