| Professor Manna obtained Bachelor of Engineering (1983) from Calcutta University (BE College), M. Tech (1984) from IIT Kanpur, PhD (1990) from IIT Kharagpur. After a brief stint at Mishra Dhatu Nigam, Hyderabad (1984-85), he joined IIT, Kharagpur in November, 1985 as a Lecturer and rose to the position of Full Professor in 2003. He served IIT Kharagpur as an academic till he joined CSIR-CGCRI as Director on March 1, 2010 (till October 31, 2012) on lien. Subsequently, he moved to IIT Kanpur as Director on November 7, 2012. At IIT Kharagpur he taught subjects related to Physical Metallurgy for 25 years (1985-2010). He continues to regularly teach at IIT Kanpur despite his administrative commitments and has recently introduced a new elective course on Surface Engineering. During his early research career, he worked as a guest scientist in different renowned Institutions in Germany, USA, Poland, France, Singapore and UK for periods ranging from a few months to a year. These visits culminated into very fruitful collaborations, join research projects, student supervision and several important research contributions as joint publications.
Academic and Research Achievements: Professor Manna is a renowned academician and prolific researcher with wide ranging research interests concerning microstructure-property-parameter correlation in nanometric and amorphous solids, laser/plasma assisted surface engineered components, bainitic and ODS steel and nano-fluid. His significant contribution in the study of amorphous/nanocrystalline Al-alloys, nano-fluid and laser/plasma assisted surface engineering received intense attention from the scientific community and is highly lauded. His early contributions in moving boundary phase transformation are still widely cited. Professor Manna has over 300 publications in peer reviewed journals and proceedings. He has supervised 20 PhD theses. While serving in the Metallurgical and Materials Engineering Department at IIT Kharagpur, Professor Manna developed several new research laboratories and facilities like plasma ion implantation and coating unit (DST, Tata Steel), Mechanical Alloying laboratory (DST, CSIR), Wear and erosion testing laboratory (CSIR, Tata Steel, DST), Electron bean joining facility (BRNS), Pulsed laser deposition and FE-SEM laboratory (DST), Nanofluid synthesis and characterization laboratory (ISRO), etc.
Other Contributions: Professor Manna is the National Coordinator for the ambitious program of the Government of India called IMPacting Research INnovation and Technology (IMPRINT), a Pan-IIT + IISc joint initiative to address the major engineering challenges in India. As Director, IIT Kanpur, he is coordinating several other initiatives of the Government of India like Namame Gange, etc.
Awards and Honours: Professor Manna is a recipient of several awards and honours including TWAS Prize in Engineering Sciences (2013), Fellowship of the ‘The World Academy of Sciences’ (2016). He has been awarded J C Bose Fellowship of Department of Science & Technology, India (2012-2017). He is Fellow of all National Academies in India: INAE-FNAE (2005), NASI-FNASc (2005), IASc-FASc (2008), INSA-FNA (2010). Prof. Manna has been INAE Visvesvarya Chair Professor (2009-2011) and INAE-AICTE Distinguished Industry Chair Professor (2007-2009). He is recipient of Alexander von Humboldt Fellowship (2001-2002 and DAAD Fellowship (1988-1990), Germany (for independent research). At the moment, Professor Manna is concurrently holding positions of Vice President and Chairman of Metal Science Division, Indian Institute of Metals and Vice President, Indian National Academy of Engineering (INAE) (Fellowship, Awards & Corporate Communication). Prof. Manna is a member of IIM Society (at Indore and Lucknow), member of the Board of Governors of IISER at Kolkata and Pune, IIEST-Shibpur, member of the Research Advisory Council of GAIL India, CSIR-National Physical Laboratory in New Delhi and Chairman, Research Council, CSIR-AMPRI, Bhopal. He is also a member of the Governing Body of Indo US Science and Technology Forum (IUSSTF). |
