Introductory Session

Guests (alphabetically):

Arindam Das
He/They
Senior Research Fellow
linkedIn/arindam-das-02a882191

Dr. Aswin Sagar
He/Him
Research Associate
Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, Pune
linkedIn/aswin-sagar-18756b242

Dr. Rituparna Sarkar
She/They
Independent Researcher
srituparna.github.io
linkedIn/rituparnasindia

𝐇𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐬 (alphabetically):
Dr. Bidyut Bikash Goswami ( linkedIn/bidyut-bikash-goswami )
Dr. Nabanita Borah (nabanitaborah.wixsite.com/bohemian)

𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘆 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗹𝗶𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗗𝗶𝗮𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘂𝗲𝘀 𝗪𝗮𝘆 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱 (𝗖𝗗𝗪𝗙):
homepage: cdwf-clima.github.io
youtube: youtube.com/@ClimateDialoguesWayForward
email: climatedialogueswayforward@gmail.com

About the speakers:

Arindam Das hails from the small town of Kandi in the Murshidabad district of West Bengal, a place rich in history where his academic journey began at Kandi Raj High School. He later pursued a Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry with Honours and a Master’s degree in Atmospheric Science at the University of Calcutta, one of India’s oldest universities. His scientific career advanced after qualifying for the CSIR-UGC NET in Earth Science (2019) and GATE in Engineering Science (2020), followed by a tenure as a Junior Research Fellow at the National Institute of Science Education and Research (NISER), Bhubaneswar.
Currently, he serves as a Senior Research Fellow at the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune, while preparing to pursue a PhD. His research focuses on the interplay between aerosol physico-chemical properties and their influence on cloud microphysics, particularly across the high-altitude Western Ghats. Beyond science, he enjoys films and web series, the reflective world of Bengali literature, and the freedom and discovery that come with solo travel.

Dr Aswin Sagar is originally from Kozhikode, Kerala, and currently works as a Research Associate at the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune. His research focuses on understanding global and regional monsoons and their response to climate change, with particular interests in climate variability, extreme weather, and the interactions between large-scale circulation and regional climate. He completed his Master’s degree from Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT) and his Bachelor’s degree from the University of Calicut. He received his school education at Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya, Kozhikode. Dr Sagar qualified for the UGC-JRF in 2017 and holds UGC-NET certification in Earth Science. He subsequently completed his PhD at IITM, focusing on climate change and monsoon dynamics.
Beyond academics and research, he enjoys travelling and exploring new places whenever possible. He appreciates outdoor experiences, engaging with different cultures, and trying new things. Crochet is one of his hobbies, offering a quieter counterbalance to his otherwise adventurous nature.

Dr Rituparna Sarkar was born and raised in Malda, West Bengal, a town known for its mango orchards and the traditional folk art form Gombhira. She completed her schooling at Barlow Girls’ High School and Bachamari G K High School. In 2012, her performance in higher secondary examinations earned her the DST INSPIRE Scholarship, following which she pursued a Bachelor’s degree in Physics at Asutosh College, Kolkata. Her interest in atmospheric physics led her to the University of Calcutta, where she completed a Master’s degree in 2015.
She qualified for the UGC Lectureship in Earth Sciences (2017) and GATE (2018). In 2018, she joined the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) as a DST INSPIRE Fellow and completed her PhD in 2025, with a thesis focused on lightning forecasting using numerical and AI-based models. Between 2024 and 2026, she worked as a Project Scientist II at IITM, contributing to the optimisation of input/output systems for the kilometre-scale global model, the Bharat Forecast System. Outside of research, she enjoys watching movies, learning acoustic drums, caring for plants, and undertaking DIY upcycling projects for her home.