Prof. Milap Chand Sharma : IAGR Conference 2024

  Prof. Milap Chand Sharma, Professor, Centre for the Study of Regional Development, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi Prof. Milap Chand Sharma (Ph.D.) is a distinguished Professor of Geomorphology at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), with a prolific career in glacier research and geomorphological studies. He graduated from Govt College Kullu and completed his Master’s and M.Phil. in Geography (Physical) from Jawaharlal Nehru University between 1984-1986. He taught at Govt College Dharamsala, Himachal Pradesh, from 1988 to 1991 before pursuing his doctoral research on Glacier Studies at Royal Holloway, University of London, from 1991-1995. His pioneering research on the Gangotri Glacier significantly advanced Quaternary glacier research in the Indian Himalaya. After a brief tenure at Panjab University’s Department of Geography, Prof. Sharma joined CSRD/JNU in 1999. He currently focuses on glacial chronologies and surface processes leading to disasters. Notably, he established a research station at 4500 meters above sea level on Menthosa Glacier, making it the only Geography Department in India with such a facility. Prof. Sharma has over 100 research publications in esteemed international journals, including Quaternary International, Quaternary Science Reviews, Geomorphology, Progress in Physical Geography, GeoScience, Anthropocene, Nature Scientific, Nature Plants, Nature, Current Science, and the Geological Society of America Bulletin. His work has garnered over 2600 research citations. His accolades include: 1. National Junior/Senior Research Fellowship, 2. National Overseas Research Fellowship, Government of India, 3. Institute of British Geographers Field Fellowship, 4. Baden-Württemberg Visiting Fellowship, University of Heidelberg, 5. Erasmus+ Visiting Fellow, University of Salzburg, Austria and 6. INQUA Grant for Tibet-China Glacial Study. Prof. Sharma has successfully implemented 12 sponsored research projects funded by DST and SAC/ISRO. He has contributed to five national atlases on snow and glaciers, desertification and degradation in India, and has analyzed GLOFs and avalanches for the Himachal Pradesh Government. He has supervised and awarded 23 Ph.D. and 33 M.Phil. theses to date, significantly contributing to the academic community and advancing research in his field.