Prof PremLal Patel takes charge as VNIT Director

Staff Reporter

Prof Prem Lal Patel, an esteemed Professor (HAG) of Hydraulics and Water Resources in the Department of Civil Engineering at Sardar Vallabhbhai National Institute of Technology (SVNIT), Surat, has taken over as the new director of Visvesvaraya National Institute of Technology (VNIT). Prof Patel brings with him a wealth of experience and a distinguished career in academia and research, making him a valuable addition to VNIT. Prof Patel has held numerous significant positions during his tenure. He served as Deputy Director of SVNIT. Additionally, he has held roles such as Dean (PG), Dean (Academic), and Head of the Civil Engineering Department at SVNIT Surat. Before joining SVNIT in 2007, Prof Patel was an Associate Professor in the Civil Engineering Department at Delhi College of Engineering (now Delhi Technological University, DTU) for eight years. He also served as an Assistant Executive Engineer (Civil) in the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), Ministry of Road Transport and Highways of India, Government of India, from 1995 to 1999.

Prof Patel holds a bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering from Government Engineering College, Rewa, Madhya Pradesh. He further pursued his Master’s and Doctoral degrees in Civil Engineering from the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee (the then University of Roorkee). His research interests include River Mechanics and Flood Control, Hydrological Modelling and Optimisation of Water Systems, and the Impact of Climate Change on Water Resources Systems. He has supervised 14 doctoral theses and 49 master’s theses, executed more than six high-value sponsored research projects, and undertaken over 25 consultancy projects. Prof Patel has an impressive portfolio of over 260 papers published in peer-reviewed journals and conferences of repute.

He is an active member of various technical societies and expert committees and has represented his research at international forums in countries such as the United States, Netherlands, China, Italy, Japan, and Dubai. Prof Patel has been a part of the climate change working group of the International Association for Hydro-Environment Engineering and Research (IAHR) dealing with Fluvial Mechanism. He is a fellow member of the Indian Society for Hydraulics, the Indian Water Resources Society, and the Institution of Civil Engineers, India. Notably, he played a crucial role in establishing the Centre of Excellence (CoE) on Water Resources and Flood Management at SVNIT Surat, funded by a research grant from the World Bank-sponsored TEQIP-II programme.