Assist. Prof. Dr. Anuj Kumar Singh | Environmental Geochemistry | Best Researcher Award

Nilamber-Pitamber University, Medininagar | India

Assist. Prof. Dr. Anuj Kumar Singh is a distinguished Earth and Planetary Scientist with expertise in impact cratering, shock metamorphism, planetary science, and high-pressure–temperature experimental petrology. He earned his Ph.D. in Earth and Planetary Sciences from the University of Allahabad, India, where he conducted extensive research on the Dhala Impact Structure, focusing on experimental petrology and geochemistry of impactites and target rocks. Prior to his doctoral studies, he completed an M.Sc. in Applied Geology (Gold Medalist) and a B.Sc. in Physics, Mathematics, and Geology from the same university. Dr. Singh holds key academic responsibilities, including serving as Nodal Officer for AISHE, Examination Officer, and Board of Studies member at Nilamber-Pitamber University, and he actively contributes to curriculum design and examination management. Internationally, he is involved as Executive Secretary for NASA’s Lunar Exploration Analysis Group (LEAG) Goal 2 Committee and has served on scientific organizing committees for global conferences such as the Meteoritical Society Annual Meeting. He has delivered numerous lectures and workshops on gemstones, impact cratering, and shock metamorphism. Recognized with prestigious fellowships such as CSIR-SPMF, DST-INSPIRE, and JRF-CSIR, he has also secured top ranks in national competitive examinations. His work bridges planetary geosciences and experimental petrology, contributing significantly to the understanding of lunar and terrestrial impact processes.

Profiles: Orcid | Google Scholar

Featured Publications

Dwivedi, S., Yadav, M., Singh, A.K., Sharma, A.K., Jaiswal, M.K., Dwivedi, M.M., Pandey, K., Yadav, G.K., & Pati, J.K. (2025). Assessment of toxicity in silica sand tailings – A case study of Shankargarh area of Prayagraj, India. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment.

Pati, J.K., Singh, A.K., & Dwivedi, S. (2025). A shocked lithic clast with compositionally contrasting melt domains in the impact melt breccia – A first report from the Dhala impact structure, India. Planetary and Space Science.

Singh, A.K. (2024). Shatter cones and their identification in field. Bulletin of Society of Geoscientists and Allied Technologists (SGAT Bulletin).

Zahbi, M., Singh, A.K., Pati, J.K., Dwivedi, M.M., Dwivedi, S., & Anand, A. (2023). Experimental formation of Pele’s hairs and tears at 1200°C under atmospheric pressure from natural alkali olivine basalt. Journal of Earth System Science.

Pati, J.K., & Singh, A.K. (2023). Soft-sediment deformation structures in the Mesoproterozoic Kaimur Sandstone, Vindhyan Supergroup (Central India), and their seismotectonic implications. Journal of Palaeogeography.

Singh, A.K. (2023). Investigation of an eco-sustainable beneficiation technique for the Shankargarh silica sands, Uttar Pradesh (India) and its impact on the soda-lime-silica glass compositions. Arabian Journal of Geosciences.

Singh, A.K. (2023). Pressure calibration of Walker-type multi-anvil apparatus at room temperature. SGAT Bulletin.

Dr. Tarun Khanna | Solid Earth | Best Researcher Award

CSIR-National Geophysical Research Institute | India

Dr. Tarun Khanna is a distinguished geologist and geochemist whose research has significantly advanced the understanding of Earth’s crust–mantle interactions and magmatic processes. He earned his B.Sc. from Bhavans New Science College, Hyderabad, followed by an M.Sc. and Ph.D. in Geology from Osmania University, India, and pursued postdoctoral research at the University of South Carolina, USA. His career at CSIR-NGRI has spanned over two decades, progressing from Junior Scientist to Principal Scientist, while also serving as Associate Professor at the Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR). Dr. Khanna specializes in radiogenic isotope geochemistry (Sr-Nd-Pb-Hf), subduction and plume magmatism, and the geochronology of greenstone terrains, supracrustal belts, and the Deccan Volcanic Province. He has conducted extensive fieldwork across the Dharwar and Bastar cratons, contributing key insights into crustal evolution and mantle dynamics. Widely recognized for his contributions, he has received prestigious honors including the BOYSCAST Fellowship, Krishnan Gold Medal, Raman Research Fellowship, and Khem Raj Gupta Gold Medal. A Fellow of the Geological Society of India and member of IAVCEI and IGU, Dr. Khanna has also mentored young researchers through training programs. His career reflects a deep commitment to advancing geoscience research and inspiring future generations of earth scientists.

Featured Publications

Boninites from the Neoarchaean Gadwal greenstone belt, Eastern Dharwar Craton, India: implications for Archaean subduction processes

Enriched and depleted arc basalts, with Mg-andesites and adakites: A potential paired arc–back-arc of the 2.6 Ga Hutti greenstone terrane, India

Rapid quantitative determination of major and trace elements in silicate rocks and soils employing fused glass discs using wavelength dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometry

Crustal growth processes as illustrated by the Neoarchaean intraoceanic magmatism from Gadwal greenstone belt, Eastern Dharwar Craton, India

Hafnium–neodymium isotope systematics of the 2.7 Ga Gadwal greenstone terrane, Eastern Dharwar craton, India: implications for the evolution of the Archean depleted mantle