A veteran Polar scientist and administrator, Dr Rasik Ravindra, holds Ph.D. in earth sciences. He has participated and led several Indian scientific expeditions to Arctic, Antarctic and Bhutan higher Himalaya, including one to the South Pole. He served in Geological Survey of India (1971-2006), held the position of Director of India’s National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research, NCPOR (2006 – 12), Chair Panikkar Professor at Ministry of Erath Sciences (2012-15) Government of India, and Member of the UN Commission on the Limits of Continental Shelf (2014-17).

Currently he is the Chair of Research Advisory Council of NCPOR, Indian National Science Academy’s SCAR National Committee and The Society of Earth Scientists (Ind). He is also an expert member in the Committee on Antarctic Governance and Environmental Protection of Government of India.

Leader of the first Indian Expedition to Arctic in 2007, he was instrumental in establishing Indian Research Station at Ny Alesund in 2008, supervising and coordinating research and international cooperation in Arctic. He was the first council member from India in the Executive Council of International Arctic Science Committee (IASC). He is an active member of the Indian thinktank-Science and Geopolitics of Arctic-Antarctica (SaGAA)

He has participated in meetings, conferences and discussion platforms on Arctic such as Arctic Science Summits (ASSW) Northern Forum (NF), Arctic Circle and Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA) etc.