Speakers

Prof. R.S. Sarraju, born on 20 September 1958 in Prathipadu, East Godavari (Andhra Pradesh), is the former Head of the Department of Hindi and the Centre for Dalit, Adivasi, and Translation Studies at the University of Hyderabad. A distinguished scholar in Functional Hindi, Translation Studies, and Comparative Indian Literature, he earned his Ph.D. from Andhra University. He has authored 8 books and over 60 research papers and guided 12 Ph.D. and 23 M.Phil. scholars. Recognized for his contributions, he received the MHRD Certificate of Merit (1989) and the Dr. George Grierson Award (2015). He has served on several national academic and Hindi advisory committees.

Dr. A. R. D. Prasad is a distinguished Library and Information Science academic with over 37 years of experience, including 29 years at the Indian Statistical Institute, Bengaluru. A pioneer in digital libraries and semantic web technologies, he has contributed to establishing digital libraries for IITs, NITs, CSIR, and DRDO, and developed widely used tools like a DSpace-Koha LiveDVD. He has served on numerous national and international committees (UNESCO, FAO, Commonwealth of Learning) and is a Fulbright Scholar. Dr. Prasad has guided 13 Ph.D. scholars, published four books and 80+ research papers, and led major projects in digital libraries, semantic web, and research data management.

Professor Aditya Tripathi is a distinguished faculty member at Banaras Hindu University, specializing in Digital Libraries, Information Retrieval, Metadata, Semantic Web, and Knowledge Management. With over two decades of academic and research experience, he has made significant contributions to the digital transformation of library systems. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Pune in 2005 and has served at BHU since 2004, currently as Professor in the Department of Library and Information Science. Dr. Tripathi has also held key administrative roles, including Head of Department, Convener of CBCS and IQAC, and Member of the BHU Court. His research interests encompass digital preservation, semantic technologies, and quality assurance in library management.

Professor (Dr.) Pijushkanti Panigrahi is the Director of the Internal Quality Assurance Cell (IQAC) and Professor in the Department of Library and Information Science at the University of Calcutta. With over 18 years of professorial experience, he previously served as Dean of the Faculty Council for PG Studies in Education, Journalism, and Library Science. His academic journey spans institutions like the Universities of Calcutta, Kalyani, and Vidyasagar. Prof. Panigrahi specializes in Library and Information Science education and research and has received numerous awards, including the Shiksha Ratna Award (2019), IASLIC Ranganathan Medal (2000), and IATLIS Prof. Kaula Best Paper Award (2007).

Dr. Arun K. Tangirala is a Professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering at IIT Madras, specializing in Process Control, Monitoring, and System Identification. He earned his B.Tech. from IIT Madras (1996) and Ph.D. from the University of Alberta, Canada (2001), where he later served as a Research Manager. A recipient of the Young Faculty Recognition Award (2010) and the Institute Research and Development Award (2014), he has also been a Visiting Professor at institutions such as the University of Delaware, Technical University of Munich, and Tsinghua University. Dr. Tangirala is the author of the widely acclaimed textbook "Principles of System Identification: Theory and Practice" (CRC Press).

Dr. K. Nageswara Rao, Sc-G, served as Director of the Defence Scientific Information & Documentation Centre (DESIDOC), Delhi, from August 2021 until his superannuation in December 2024. He holds M.Sc. and BLISc degrees from Sri Venkateswara University, an MLISc from Annamalai University, a PG Diploma from JNTU Hyderabad, and a Ph.D. from the University of Mysore. Joining DRDO in 1995 at NPOL, Kochi, he later contributed significantly at DRDL, Hyderabad, by developing digital library systems and strengthening IT infrastructure. As Director (DP&R), Director (DHRTM), and Technical Advisor, he played a key role in resource management and technology initiatives. Dr. Rao is recognized for his research in information retrieval and recommender systems, with around 20 national and international publications.

Dr. J. K. Vijayakumar is the Associate Dean of Library and Learning Resources and Professor at the American University of Antigua, West Indies, with nearly three decades of experience in academic and research librarianship. He previously served as Library Director at KAUST (Saudi Arabia) and Scientific Technical Officer at INFLIBNET (India). Dr. Vijayakumar is the first Indian librarian to serve on the Board of Directors of IATUL and has been active in IFLA for over 20 years. He holds advanced degrees from the UK and India, including a Ph.D. in Information Science. A recipient of several prestigious fellowships such as IFLA-OCLC and Salzburg Global, he has represented the profession in over 38 countries worldwide.

Ms. Waltraut Ritter is an information scientist and urban sociologist (Free University of Berlin, Stockholm University and Anglia Ruskin University, U.K.) She is interested in transdisciplinary research on knowledge in urban spaces in the widest sense. Her research areas include urban and regional innovation systems, data governance in digital/smart cities and inclusive development. She actively contributes to these topics to working groups of international and multilateral organisations, such as the UN World Urban Forum and the Internet Governance Forum. She is a member of the German Association for Information and Knowledge, and board member in the New Club of Paris, an agenda developer for knowledge-based societies.

Dr. Mayank Trivedi is the University Librarian (Professor Grade) and Senate Member at Smt. Hansa Mehta Library, The Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, Vadodara. Under his leadership, the library has been ranked among the top 10 in India (India Today–Nielsen, 2016) and he pioneered projects such as the Open Knowledge Gateway (OKG) and IR@MSU. With over 22 years of professional experience, he has published 40+ research papers, authored 5+ books, and guided numerous Ph.D. scholars. Dr. Trivedi has received several national and international honors, including the SALIS Best Librarian Award (2024) and ICAL Excellence in Career Award (2023). His research focuses on digital libraries, open access, and knowledge management.

Dr. S. Srinivasa Ragavan served as Controller of Examinations (i/c) from January 2020 to April 2024 and currently heads the University Library while also serving as SWAYAM Coordinator. With 31 years of postgraduate teaching experience, he has guided 30 Ph.D. scholars and published 94 research papers, including 54 national and 40 international articles. He has executed six major research projects worth ₹94.40 lakhs funded by UGC, MHRD, ICSSR-IMPRESS, and the Government of Tamil Nadu. Dr. Ragavan has organized several academic programs sponsored by UGC, INFLIBNET, DST, and AICTE, including seven UGC-HRDC refresher courses. He has also represented India at international academic events in countries such as Germany, Austria, UAE, Vietnam, and Malaysia.

Mr. Arnaud Delivet is an accomplished professional with extensive experience in the library and publishing industries. He currently serves as Sales Manager for France, the Middle East, and Africa at OCLC, where he helps libraries enhance their workflows and service delivery. With over two decades of experience, he has played key roles in developing international markets and fostering partnerships across the academic and information sectors. Before joining OCLC, he worked with ProQuest for 14 years, managing regions across Europe, Israel, and Africa, and previously held positions at Thomson Scientific and Datec. Arnaud holds a Maîtrise in Applied Foreign Languages from Université de Caen Normandie.

Dr. Roshan Lal Raina is the Vice Chancellor of Jaipur National University, Jaipur, since 2021. He previously served two consecutive terms as Vice Chancellor of JK Lakshmipat University (JKLU), Jaipur, and was earlier Professor of Communication and Dean (Planning & Development) at IIM Lucknow. Dr. Raina also held the position of Director at Lal Bahadur Shastri Institute of Management (LBSIM), Delhi. With over 35 years of teaching and 40 years of institutional leadership experience, he has made outstanding contributions to management education and academic administration. A Fulbright Scholar at Syracuse University, USA, he has authored 23 books and over 250 research papers. He has conducted 200+ faculty and management development programmes across the country. Recognized for his academic leadership, Dr. Raina received the Best Employer Award from the Employers’ Association of Rajasthan in 2023.