Founded in the Golden Jubilee Year of Independence
First Research Institute in India devoted to Interdisciplinary Research
16A Jheel Road
Kolkata (Calcutta), West Bengal 700075
ph: 91-33-24830029
alt: 91-9831088010
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Dr Chandrika Varadachari, FNAAS, FAScT
Director
Awards received :
INSA (Indian National Science Academy) Young Scientist (1986) - First recipient from Agricultural Chemistry and/or Soil Science and/or Agricultural Chemicals.
DST (Department of Science & Technology, Government of India) Young Scientist (1988). Second recipient from West Bengal.
UNESCO-ROSTSCA Award (1990) in Chemistry.
Lockheed-Martin India Innovation Award (2008) : Best technology development out of over 350 technologies submitted by IITs, IISc, Government Departments, Universities, Research Institutes and Private Sector. Assessed globally by University of Texas at Austin; organized by FICCI along with DST, Government of India.
Calcutta University Gold Medal (1978).
Fellow : West Bengal Academy of Science & Technology (WAST), Kolkata
Fellow & ex-Council Member : National Academy of Agricultural Sciences (NAAS), New Delhi
Dr Chandrika Varadachari is an interdisciplinary scientist working in the interfaces of chemistry with Earth Science, Environmental Science and Material Science. Her research is fusion of several disciplines of applied sciences and technology mostly in the geology-mathematics-thermodynamics and technology-chemistry-agriculture interfaces and design of materials.
Dr Chandrika’s PhD thesis was on the development of processes for the conversion of waste micas into potash fertilizers. The processes were subsequently upgraded to pilot level.
Dr Chandrika later pioneered the development of a new category of slow-release fertilizers, now termed "smart" fertilizers. These compounds, which contain various micronutrient ions, are not only water insoluble but also completely bio-available. These "smart" fertilizers are non-leachable and non-polluting; yet they contain nutrients in a chemical form that is extractable by plant roots strictly as per demand. She also conducted field trials on these fertilizers for three decades all over India and also in USA and Vietnam. The processes are at the production level now.
Studies on clay-humus complexes lead to the development of a comprehensive picture of interactions of soil minerals with organic substances. These concepts have been developed based on an in-depth study of crystal structures and high precision analytical data. Dr Chandrika carried out extensive field work in a National Park followed by laboratory studies to study soil degradation due to deforestation and cultivation in the light of loss of soil environment and global warming.
Dr Chandrika has incorporated new thermodynamic concepts and non-conventional mathematics to understand the behaviour of mineral systems. This has resulted in improved perceptions in clay thermodynamics particularly the development of fuzzy phase diagrams.
Other current areas include applications of thermodynamics and quantum mechanics for virtual design of ceramics, use of ab initio methods for modelling abiotic polymerisation of biological macromolecules to understand the origin of life on Earth. Dr Chandrika developed several globally accepted new methods in clay, soil and fertilizer research. Dr Chandrika holds dozens of patents all over the globe particularly in India, US and EU nations. She is a leading expert and involved most actively in this field of Patents-IPR since the mid eighties. Although a scientist, she is quite conversant in drafting business plans.
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16A Jheel Road
Kolkata (Calcutta), West Bengal 700075
ph: 91-33-24830029
alt: 91-9831088010
cv