M. G. Thakkar

Prof. M. G. Thakkar is presently Head of the Department of Earth and Environmental Science at KSKV Kachchh University. He has 30 years of teaching and research experience in Geology and specialized in Tectonics, Quaternary science, paleoclimates, and paleoseismology. He has about 96 research papers in national and international reputed journals, has been a reviewer in several international journals. He has completed 14 national and international research projects and three are ongoing in the field of Active tectonics, RS in Hydrogeology, and also on palynology. He has guided ten Ph.D.s and is credited with more than 1603 GS citations with H and I-10 index 22 and 50 respectively. He has had administrative experience as a Principal in R. R. Lalan College, Bhuj, and also as a Registrar in KSKV Kachchh University. He is also instrumental in many fundamental changes in academics during his tenures as Dean of the faculty of Science. He organized several national and international seminars, workshops, and conferences as well as presented his research outcome in several countries. He also has collaborated with a number of Indian and foreign scientists and institutions. His work on the 2001 Bhuj Earthquake is praised internationally and published as separate chapters in the Encyclopedia of Natural Hazards in the USA. He has also edited a special volume of the Journal of Geological Society of India in the year 2016 and is presently a guest editor in the Special Volume - "Indian Geoheritage: From the Precambrian to the Present" of the journal of Geoheritage - Springer. He also organized DST-INSPIRE programs for the popularization of science among school children. He is also instrumental in transpiring the geological realm by publishing it in local newspapers for the common people. Presently he is working on the Geoheritage of Kachchh developing special sites of academic and research values and their conservation. A site of Jurassic fossil wood in 'Dholavira world heritage' site is restored by him with the financial assistance of the state government. He bestowed his expertise in many state government ventures, one of which is the 'Smritivan' Earthquake museum in Bhuj.