Prof (Dr) Surendra Pal
(FIEEE, FNAE, FNASc, Dist. Fellow Astronautical Society of India, and IETE, Chartered Engineer (UK), FIET(UK), MIA (Paris), FATMS Space Communication, RF, EM and GNSS EXPERT)
Former: Vice-Chancellor- Defence Institute of Advanced Technology- Pune, DRDO Dr D S Kothari Chair DG ECS Office Dr Bangalore, Prof. Satish Dhawan Professor, Senior Adviser- Satellite Navigation (ISRO), Distinguished Scientist, Associate Director, Chairman GAGAN -PMB & Prog Director Sat -Navigation- URSC(ISAC)-ISRO] Chairman IEEE Bangalore Section (2004-2005), Hon Professor AMITY University NOIDA, Aditya Birla Chair BKBIET Pilani, President IETE(2012-2014)
Dr Surendra Pal is a researcher and an academician of international repute having more than 52 years of experience in the field of Antennas, Microwaves, Space Communication and Satellite Navigation.
He was responsible for initiating: Antennas, Space communication, Microwaves and Satellite navigation activities at ISRO Satellite Centre (ISAC) from its inception in 1971. The journey started with Aryabhata India’s first satellite and went on till Chandrayaan-I. The space communication systems designed and developed by him and his team for TT&C and high bit rate data transmission, in S, C, X, Ku and Ka frequency bands were used in India’s various satellite and interplanetary missions. The designs are still used and also worked for India’s Mars Orbiter Mission. He led the team, which designed (RF) and tested the Indian ISDN 32-meter diameter antenna system. This is being used from tracking Mars Orbiter now Chandrayaan-II.
Dr Pal was the founder Programme Director of Indian Satellite Navigation Programme. GAGAN and NaVIC. The NaVIC (IRNSS) constellation is a unique constellation at GEO orbit for Regional Navigation, providing better position and timing, stand-alone, for accuracies, for navigation. GAGAN is certified and handed over to Air Port Authority of India. For NAViC Indian defense and security agencies will be the main user, will be independent of GPS and GLONASS Uses. It is a great development for the country.
On 29th April Air Port Authority of India landed an ATR-72 Indigo Airlines Aircraft, using GAGAN System, without any use of any ILS or any external landing aid. India is the first country in South East Asia and Pacific region to achieve this unique feat. It will help UDDAN and flights to small airstrips and defense aircrafts, helicopters to fly on unchartered routes.
He was a consultant to ITU-Geneva (International Telecom Union) for defining Rural African Satellite Communication and on the GNSS panel of UN Office for Outer Space (Vienna) also, to ICO/INMARSAT, UK for LEO mobile satellite constellation and NTU-Singapore on X-SAT. Technologies developed by him were utilized by DRDO, DOORDARSHAN and INMARSAT.
From 2012 to 2014, he was President of the Institution of Electronics and Telecommunication Engineers India
Dr Pal has received more than two dozen National and International Awards, which includes Judith Resnik Award from IEEE. He is the first person to get the award from East of France. Dr Pal was an IEEE Distinguished Lecturer for the Aerospace Electronics Society. He also visited under IEEE-DLT Programme several universities in USA, UK, South Africa, Australia, Malaysia & Singapore. He also received BITS Pilani Distinguished Alumni Award from Shri. Kumar Mangalam Birla.
He has published /presented more than 250 technical papers, two volume book,” Perspectives In Communication, obtained patents guided PhDs.
Recently Academy of CSIR has announced him to be conferred Academy Professor, a rare honor to an individual.
Dr Pal is also versant with NEP 2020, and took part in discussions arranged by INAE. He writes columns on technology, education and takes part TV discussions on space related topics.