{"id":295,"date":"2023-09-20T08:28:29","date_gmt":"2023-09-20T08:28:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kamalhitech.com\/projects\/department-of-earth\/?p=295"},"modified":"2026-03-27T11:36:04","modified_gmt":"2026-03-27T11:36:04","slug":"vinayak-sinha","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/web.iisermohali.ac.in\/dept\/ees\/vinayak-sinha\/","title":{"rendered":"Vinayak Sinha"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

About<\/h2>\n
\n\n

Vinayak Sinha works as a Professor at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Mohali which is located in the state of Punjab, India since November 2022, having worked earlier as Assistant professor from 2010 to 2015 and Associate Professor from 2016 till November 2022 at the same institute in India, which is an Institute of National Importance as per an act of the Indian Parliament. He completed his Bachelors in Science (BSc with Honours in Chemistry) and Master in Science (MSc: specialization in organic chemistry of natural products) in 2002 from Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning, Prasanthinilayam and subsequently completed a Master of Technology (M. Tech) in Analytical Chemistry from the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi in 2004. He completed his doctoral studies and postdoctoral research at the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry in Mainz, Germany from 2004-2007 (PhD) and from 2007-2010 (postdoctoral research). He is currently an expert member of the United Nation’s World Meteorological Organization (WMO) Environmental Pollution and Atmospheric Chemistry Scientific Steering Committee (EPAC SSC), the International Commission on Atmospheric Chemistry and Global Pollution, and the International Global Atmospheric Chemistry (IGAC), a Global Reserach Project under Future Earth. He has previously served as the first Indian Co-chair (2017-2020) and a Scientific Steering Committee (SSC) Member (2015-2020) of the Integrated Land Ecosystem-Atmosphere Processes Study, another Global Research Project under Future Earth. In addition he has served as Editor (Subject: Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics) for Earth System Science Data, and as a member of the Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC) of Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences (ARIES, Nainital), Member of the Program Advisory and Monitoring Committee in Atmospheric Chemistry for the Ministry of Earth Sciences in India, Co-chair of working group (WG1) of the Atmospheric Composition in the Asian Monsoon (ACAM) a SPARC\/IGAC activity and has contributed to the Third Ozone Assessment Report (TOAR). In 2018 he was featured among Asia’s leading scientist by the Asian Scientist magazine and in 2016 was awarded the National Academy of Science and Elsevier SCOPUS’s NASI-SCOPUS Young Scientist Award 2016: in the subject area of Earth, Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences for excellence in research. As the Convener and Founder Head he contributed significantly to establishing the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at IISER Mohali. His current research is focused on ensuring more sustainable interactions with our environment through evidence-based understanding of emissions, atmospheric chemistry and air quality feedbacks as well as source apportionment of gases and fine mode aerosol in megacities through field studies. The investigations combine experimental tools such as proton transfer reaction mass spectrometers, gas chromatography and spectroscopic techniques with satellite remote sensed data, chemical box models and chemical transport models for comprehensive understanding. He set up the state-of-the-art IISER Mohali Central Atmospheric Chemistry facility in the north-west Indo-Gangetic Plain where atmospheric composition and meteorology measurements for >100 chemical and physical parameters including VOCs at ultra-trace level (ppt-ppb) are being made continuously since 2011. Ozone chemistry, hydroxyl radical reactivity, molecular chemical fingerprinting of air-pollution sources, volatile organic compounds, mass spectrometric measurements of atmospheric chemical composition and development of India-wide VOC emission inventories using measured emission factors and updated activity data are some of his group’s recent contributions.<\/p>\n

Social Media Links<\/h4>\n

Google.Scholar:<\/strong> https:\/\/scholar.google.co.in\/citations?user=-y7uA8YAAAAJ&hl=en <\/a>
\nTwitter:<\/strong> https:\/\/twitter.com\/air9_vs <\/a>
\nOrcid:<\/strong> https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5508-0779 <\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

\n<\/div>

Research<\/h2>\n
\n <\/p>\n

Our current research is focused on improving fundamental process based understanding of emissions-atmospheric chemistry-air quality and climate and their feedbacks over South Asia. Ozone formation chemistry and the sources, sinks of ambient gases (including green house gases and ammonia) are key focus areas. The experimental work involves use of sophisticated mass spectrometric, gas chromatographic and spectroscopic techniques whereas the theoretical work involves use of chemical box models and chemical transport models such as the weather research and forecast model with online chemistry for such investigations. Our group set up and operates an online atmospheric chemistry observatory in the north-west Indo Gangetic Plain since August 2011. This facility makes continuous measurements of atmospheric composition and meteorology for more than 100 ambient air constituents and climate variables, and is the only one to be so equipped and maintained in India. This laboratory was the first in India to bring proton transfer reaction mass spectrometry (PTR-MS) technology to India for applications in atmospheric chemistry and environmental studies. The instrument is capable of quantifying highly reactive volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that are chemical tracers and precursors of aerosol and surface ozone in real-time at parts per trillion (ppt) level and has led to insightful new field studies in Mohali, Kathmandu and Delhi. The overall scientific approach combines field, laboratory and satellite data for studies relevant to atmospheric chemistry, air quality and climate over the Indian region, as per need. Some recent topics where our studies have contributed with strategic new knowledge and better process based understanding for critical environmental issues of our times include: Atmospheric chemistry impacts of agricultural crop residue burning on ambient atmospheric reactivity and air quality (e.g. Chandra and Sinha 2016, Kumar et al. 2016, Kumar et al., 2018) Assessing closure of budget of reactive gaseous emissions in pollution plumes and identification of missing reactive emissions (e.g. Kumar et al. 2018) Source apportionment of air pollutants using chemical fingerprinting of sources and real time ambient measurements (e.g. Sarkar et al., 2016, Sarkar et al. 2017, Kumar et al. 2020) Screening of plant species for biogenic reactive volatile compounds to assess those suitable for urban forestry and to study their climate and air quality impacts (e.g. Vettikat et al., 2020) Assessing the impact of the odd-even traffic rule like interventions on air quality (e.g. Chandra et al., 2018) Compilation of biogenic and anthropogenic emission inventories over India using measured emission factors and emission activity in collaboration with Dr. Baerbel Sinha’s group (e.g. Sharma et al., 2019) Development and validation of low cost reactive gas samplers (e.g. Chandra et al., 2017).<\/p>\n

\n<\/div>

People<\/h2>\n
\n
\n(i) Mr. M. Shabin (PhD STUDENT)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Shabin completed BS-MS dual degree in Chemistry from IISER Mohali in 2017. He joined the group for MS thesis in 2016 and has been a PhD scholar since January 2019. He is working on improving our understanding of the chemistry and sources and sinks of Criegee intermediates as oxidants and non-methane hydrocarbons in the atmosphere. He is an expert on measurements of hydrocarbons using the technique of thermal desorption gas chromatography equipped with flame ionization (TD-GC-FID) detectors.<\/p>\n

Publications:<\/strong>
\nShabin, M., Kumar, A., Hakkim, H., Rudich, Y., Sinha, V., Sources, sinks, and chemistry of Stabilized Criegee Intermediates in the Indo-Gangetic Plain, Science of the Total Environment, 896, 165281, 2023.<\/p>\n

Kumar, A., Sinha, V., Shabin, M., Hakkim, H., Bonsang, B., and Gros, V.: Non-methane hydrocarbon (NMHC) fingerprints of major urban and agricultural emission sources for use in source apportionment studies, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 20, 12133\u201312152, https:\/\/doi.org\/10.5194\/acp-20-12133-2020, 2020.<\/p>\n

Conference Contribution<\/strong><\/p>\n

Parkar, V., Datta, S., Hakkim, H., Kumar, A., Shabin, M., Sinha, V., and Sinha, B., Polyalthia longifolia (False Ashoka) is an ideal choice for better air quality at kerbside locations, EGU General Assembly, EGU2020-922, 2020.<\/p>\n

Kumar, A., Sinha, V., Shabin, M., Yadav, P., Hakkim, H., Gros, V., Sarda-Esteve, R., Bonsang, B., and Baisnee, D., Speciation of 49 C2-C10 NMHCs during the post-harvest paddy residue fire emission period in the N.W. Indo Gangetic Plain using Thermal Desorption Gas Chromatography Flame<\/p>\n

(ii) Mr. Raj Singh (PhD STUDENT)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Raj is working on sources and measurements of volatile organic compounds. He did his MSc in Environmental Science from Delhi University prior to joining IISER Mohali.<\/p>\n

Publications:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Chaudhary, P., Singh, R., Shabin, M., Sharma, A., Bhatt, S., Sinha, V., Sinha, B. Replacing the greater evil: Can legalizing decentralized waste burning in improved devices reduce waste burning emissions for improved air quality?, Environmental Pollution, 311, 119897, 2022.<\/p>\n

MS Students:<\/strong><\/p>\n

1) Mr. Gurmanjot Singh<\/strong><\/p>\n

He is working on source profiling of pollution sources and just started his thesis work in summer of 2023.<\/p>\n

Project JRF Students:<\/strong><\/p>\n

1) Varkrisha M.<\/strong><\/p>\n

He is working on the sources and chemistry of VOCs as part of the RASAGAM project since 2023.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>

Alumni<\/h2>\n
\n\n

PhD STUDENTS <\/strong><\/p>\n

1) Name: Dr. Chinmoy Sarkar (Status: Completed; 2012-2015);<\/strong> Thesis Title: Measurement and source apportionment of reactive volatile organic compounds (VOC) in South Asia. After PhD was awarded the prestigious Kalam-Fulbright Climate postdoctoral fellowship and is now working at University of California, Davis, USA.<\/p>\n

2) Name : Dr. Vinod Kumar (Status: Completed; 2013-2017);<\/strong> Thesis Title: Impact of Open Fires on Atmospheric Chemistry over the North-West Indo-Gangetic Plain Quantified Using Multi-Year OH Reactivity and Trace Gas MeasurementsAfter PhD was awarded the prestigious Alexander von-Humboldt postdoctoral fellowship and worked at the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry, Mainz, Germany in Satellite remote sensing division from 2018 to 2022 and has now joined the European Meteorological Satellite Agency on a permanent position as Research Scientist based in Germany.<\/p>\n

3) Name: Dr. Prafulla Bogarrapu Chandra (Status: Completed; 2013-2018);<\/strong> Thesis Title: Measurements of reactive Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) and their emissions in agricultural and urban atmospheric environments of Indo-Gangetic Plain (IGP). After PhD was awarded a postdoctoral fellowship and worked at the University of Washington, Bothell, USA. for 2 years after which he joined as Assistant Professor (Chemistry department) at the Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning, Andhra Pradesh. India where he has been working since 2020.<\/p>\n

4) Name: Dr. Abhishek Mishra (Status: Completed; 2015-2021):<\/strong> Thesis Title: Emissions, diurnal variability and modelling of biogenic volatile organic compounds: Currently working as Scientist in Bihar Mausam Seva Kendra, Patna, Planning and Development Department, Government of Bihar, India.<\/p>\n

5) Name: Dr. Haseeb Hakkim (Status: Completed 2021):<\/strong> Thesis Title: Detection and quantification of trace gases in ambient air and vehicular exhaust: decoding the urban atmosphere; Currently working as Postdoctoral Scientist at IISER Mohali under RASAGAM project.<\/p>\n

6) Name: Dr. Ashish Kumar (Status: Completed 2021);<\/strong> Thesis Title: NMHC source fingerprints, emissions, and ambient variability over North India quantified using thermal desorption-gas chromatography-flame ionization detection (TD-GC-FID). Currently working as Postdoctoral Scientist at Department of Chemistry, University of York, United Kingdom.<\/p>\n

MS Theses Students <\/strong>
\n(i) Mr. Apurv Saxena (2011-2012).
\n(ii) Mr. Vinod Kumar (2012-2013).
\n(iii) Mr. Yash Maurya (2013-2014).
\n(iv) Ms. Harshita Pawar (2014-2015).
\n(v) Mr. Haseeb Hakkim (2014-2015).
\n(vi) Ms. Bharti Sohpaul (2016-2017).
\n(vii) Mr. Mohammed Shabin (2016-2017).
\n(viii) Mr. Abhishek Verma (2017-2018).
\n(ix) Mr. Kalik Kumar (2017-2018).
\n(x) Mr. Lejish Vettikat (2018-2019).
\n(xi) Ms Priya Yadav (2018-2019).
\n(xii) Ms Deepali Sehgal (2019-2020).
\n(xiii) Mr. Saurabh Ramteke (2019-2020).
\n(xiv) Ms Hiral Gandhi (2020-2021).
\n(xv) Mr Saurabh Annadate (2020-2021).<\/p>\n

Postdocs:<\/strong><\/p>\n

1) Dr. Anita<\/strong> (worked with me on DST project during 2017-2018;
\n2) Dr. Praneeth<\/strong> (worked as Institute Postdoc at IISER Mohali with me during 2018 – 2019 and currently working as Assistant Professor in SRM University, Sikkim.
\n3) Dr. Hakkim<\/strong> (working currently as postdoc in MOES sponsored research project)<\/p>\n\n<\/div>

Publications<\/h2>\n
\n\n

h-index on SCOPUS: 39; and Total citations: 4441; Scopus ID: 22136950500<\/strong>
\n h-index on Google Scholar: 42; Total citations: 5974; Last 5 years (2021-2026): 3490 & h-index: 34<\/strong>
\n Number of papers \u2265 100 citations = 21; i-10 index= 77<\/strong>
\n

Peer Reviewed Journal Publications<\/strong>
<\/P>
\n Asterix (*) indicates publications as the corresponding author, group members underlined <\/strong><\/p>\n