iRAD 2026 at Gauhati University
Gauhati University stands at the forefront of atmospheric and radar-based research in Northeast India, making it an ideal venue for iRAD 2026. The University houses a Stratosphere–Troposphere (ST) Radar, a key facility for studying atmospheric dynamics. Guwahati is also soon to be equipped with a Cloud Radar under the India Meteorological Department (IMD), while NESAC’s S-band radar at Cherrapunji further strengthens the region’s radar network. Together, these facilities position Northeast India as an emerging hub for radar meteorology and atmospheric science.
Hosting iRAD 2026 at Gauhati University will:
Gauhati University
Gauhati University, established in 1948, is the oldest university in Northeast India. It is a top-ranking NAAC A+ university renowned for its academic and research excellence. In the 2025 NIRF Rankings, Gauhati University secured the 33rd position in the University Category and 9th among all State Public Universities, reaffirming its status among India’s leading institutions. Since its inception, the University has been dedicated to academic excellence, innovation and regional development. It now has over 300 affiliated colleges and offers a wide range of undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral programs across six faculties – Arts, Science, Commerce & Management, Law, Medicine & Allied Health Sciences and Engineering & Technology. The University provides an environment that encourages learning, research and creativity. It houses modern laboratories, a well-equipped central library, research and training centres and various student support facilities.
One of the university’s key scientific assets is the ST Radar (Stratosphere-Troposphere Radar) facility, used for studying atmospheric and meteorological phenomena. This advanced radar system enables research on wind patterns, weather forecasting and climate change, placing Gauhati University at the forefront of atmospheric research in the region.
Gauhati University main gate, Jalukbari
ST Radar Centre at Gauhati University campus
IMD Head Office, New Delhi
India Meteorological Department
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) is the national agency responsible for meteorological observations, weather forecasting and seismology in India. Established in 1875, IMD functions under the Ministry of Earth Sciences, Government of India and serves as the principal authority for providing accurate and timely weather and climate related information to the nation. IMD’s activities cover a wide range of areas including weather forecasting, climate monitoring, hydrometeorology, aviation meteorology, agro-meteorology and seismological studies. The department operates an extensive network of observatories, Doppler weather radars, automatic weather stations and satellite-based systems, enabling real-time monitoring and analysis of atmospheric conditions across the country.
Organising Committee
Chief Patron
- Prof. Nani Gopal Mahanta, Vice Chancellor, Gauhati University(GU)
Patron
- Prof. B.N. Goswami, Professor of Excellence, GU
- Prof. Parag Phukan, Dept. of Geological Sciences, GU
- Prof. Ratul Mahanta, Dept. of Economics, GU
- Prof. Utpal Sarma, Registrar, GU
- Dr. Arup Kumar Misra, Chairman, APCB
- Dr. Jaideep Baruah, Director ASTEC
- Dr. K.N. Mohan, Head, RMC, IMD Guwahati
- Dr. Manish K. Naja, Director, ARIES
- Dr. S.P. Aggarwal, Director, NESAC
- Shri PLN Raju, Director, ASSAC
Convenor
- Prof. Dhrubajyoti Sahariah, Dept. of Geography, GU
Joint Convenor
- Dr. Nairit Barkataki, Dept. of Instrumentation & USIC, GU
- Dr. Samiran Patgiri, ST Radar Centre, GU
Advisory Committee
- Prof. Parag Phukan, Dept. of Geological Sciences, GU (Chair)
- Prof. V. Chandrasekar, CSU
- Dr. Amit Kumar Patra, Director, NARL
- Dr. A. Suryachandra Rao, Director, IITM Pune
- Dr. Jothiram Vivekanandan, Senior Scientist, NCAR
- Dr. Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, DGM, IMD
- Dr. M. Ravichandran, Secretary, MoES
- Dr. V. S. Prasad, Head, NCMRWF
- Shri. Chanchal Kumar, Secretary, MoDoNER
Steering Committee
- Prof. B.N. Goswami, Professor of Excellence, GU
- Prof. Dhrubajyoti Sahariah, Dept. of Geography, GU (Convenor iRad 2026)
- Prof. G. S. Bhat, IISC, Bengaluru
- Prof. Jayanarayanan Kuttippurath, IIT Kharagpur
- Prof. Srinivasa Ramanujam Kannan, IIT Bhubanehwar
- Prof. Utpal Sarma, Registrar , GU
- Prof. V. Chandrasekar, CSU (Chair)
- Dr. Balaji Narasimhan, IIT Madras
- Dr. D. Praveen, NCMRWF, Noida
- Dr. G. Pandithurai, IITM Pune
- Dr. Sachin Despande, IITM Pune
- Dr. Samiran Patgiri, ST Radar Centre, GU (Joint Convenor iRad 2026)
- Dr. Saurabh Das, IIT Indore
- Dr. Subrata Das, IITM Pune
- Dr. T. Narayana Rao, NARL, Tirupati
- Shri Gajendra Kumar, IMD, New Delhi
Technical Program Committee
- Prof. B.N. Goswami, Professor of Excellence, GU
- Prof. Kandarpa Sarma, Dept. of Electronics and Communication Engineering, GU
- Prof. Srinivasa Ramanujam Kannan, IIT Bhubanehwar (Chair)
- Prof. V. Chandrasekar, CSU
- Dr. Nairit Barkataki, Dept. of Instrumentation & USIC, GU (Joint Convenor iRad 2026)
- Dr. T. Narayana Rao, NARL, Tirupati (Co-Chair)
Local Organising Committee
- Dr. Sanjay Neil O’ Shaw, RMC, IMD Guwahati
- Prof. Anamika Baruah, IIT Guwahati
- Prof. Arup Sharma, IIT, Guwahati
- Prof. Banty Tiru, Dept. of Physics, GU
- Prof. Chandana Sarmah, Dept. of Anthropology, GU
- Prof. Utpal Sarma, Registrar, GU (Chair)
- Dr. Alaka Medhi, ST Radar Centre, GU
- Dr. Biman Medhi, Dept. of Physics, GU
- Dr. Debashis Saikia, Dept. of Instrumentation & USIC, GU
- Dr. Diganta Narzary, Dept. of Botany, GU
- Dr. Diganta Sarma, B. Borooah ColLege
- Dr. Jayanta Jivan Laskar, Dept. of Geological Sciences, GU
- Dr. Mahen Konwar, IITM, Pune
- Dr. Manas Pratim Goswami, Dept. of Instrumentation & USIC, GU
- Dr. Manoj Saikia, ST Radar Centre, GU
- Dr. S.S. Kundu, NESAC, Shillong
- Dr. Subrat Das, ST Radar Centre, GU