Purulia professors find place of pride among world’s top scientists
The Statesman | 26 September 2025Dr Biswajit Bera of the department of geography and Dr Gour Chandra Mahata of the department of mathematics have earned their place among the world’s most influential researchers, a distinction regarded as one of the highest measures of scholarly impact.
The Stanford–Elsevier ranking identifies scientists whose research has had profound and lasting influence, judged through a composite index that weighs citations, h-index, authorship, and single-year as well as career-long impact across 22 scientific fields and 174 sub-fields. To secure a place in the elite 2 per cent requires consistent international recognition, and both Dr Bera and Dr Mahata have achieved it through years of dedicated research and publication in top-tier journals including Nature Group, Elsevier, Springer Nature, Wiley, Taylor and Francis and Current Science.
Dr Bera has been recognised in the field of earth and environmental sciences. His current research focuses on landslides, flash floods and river hydraulics, with particular emphasis on the fragile Himalayan belt and the Chota Nagpur Plateau. His findings have been instrumental not only in advancing academic understanding but also in shaping policy on disaster management and sustainable regional development.
Dr Mahata, included in the field of engineering and operations research, has contributed extensively to mathematical modelling and applied systems research, strengthening the bridge between theoretical mathematics and real-world problem-solving.
Both scholars, with more than two decades of teaching and research experience across universities and colleges, embody the spirit of academic excellence nurtured by SKBU since its establishment in 2010. Their recognition is not only a personal triumph but also a moment of pride for Purulia and for West Bengal’s higher education community.
This honour underscores how committed research from even relatively young institutions can resonate globally, influencing both scholarship and policy. For Sidho-Kanho-Birsha University, it signals a growing stature in the international academic landscape, and for Purulia, it is a reminder that world-class intellectual leadership can thrive far beyond metropolitan centres.
