Himachal Pradesh University inducts first batch of scholars for green energy research

The Centre for Green Energy and Nanotechnology (C-GENT) in Himachal Pradesh University (HPU), Shimla, has become the first newly established Centre of the University to commence its PhD programme as it admitted its first batch comprising three full-time and three part-time scholars.

The batch called on Prof Mahavir Singh, Vice-Chancellor (VC), HPU, along with faculty members of the Centre. During the interaction, VC congratulated the scholars on joining the University and extended his best wishes for their research journey in the rapidly evolving field of green and sustainable energy.

The part-time scholars include Pradeep Kumar, Associate Director at Fichtner Consulting Engineers India Limited, whose doctoral research will focus on green hydrogen storage and logistics, contributing towards the development of next-generation hydrogen energy systems; Azmal TJ, Vice-President at Floatex Solar, whose research will focus on advancing floating solar technologies and their applications in sustainable energy generation; and Swati Gangta, engineer at the Directorate of Energy, Government of Himachal, whose research is expected to contribute towards addressing key challenges in the deployment and management of solar energy systems.

The Centre has also welcomed three full-time research scholars from multidisciplinary backgrounds. Bhavya Bhaskar Singla, with a background in Computer Science and Engineering, will contribute expertise in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning applications for the energy sector. Rajat Rajneesh, with specialisation in Mechanical Engineering and Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), will undertake research in Agri-Photovoltaic (Agri-PV) technologies. Aman Sharma, a Data Science professional, will contribute advanced data analytics and intelligent decision-making approaches for sustainable energy systems.

Speaking on the occasion, VC appreciated the Centre’s vision of integrating expertise from academia, industry and government to address contemporary challenges in renewable energy. He said the diverse backgrounds of the scholars would foster innovation, interdisciplinary collaboration and impactful research, aligned with national priorities in clean energy and sustainability.

He also expressed his confidence that the inaugural batch of scholars would contribute meaningfully to scientific advancement and help position the Centre as a leading hub for research in green energy technologies.