Prof. Manoranjan Parida Takes Over as President of Indian Roads Congress

Prof. Manoranjan Parida, Director of CSIR-CRRI, has been appointed as the President of the Indian Roads Congress (IRC) during its 83rd Annual Session held in Raipur from November 8th to 11th, 2024. The IRC, a 90-year-old organization, plays a vital role in the development of road infrastructure in India, creating standards for highways, bridges, and tunnels, while also organizing conferences and seminars.

Prior to his current role, Prof. Parida was the Deputy Director at IIT Roorkee and joined CSIR-CRRI in September 2022. He served as the MoRTH Chair Professor from 2013 to 2017 and made notable contributions, including the design and development of noise barriers for flyovers in Delhi. He also helped develop 1,700 km of state highways in Bihar from 2007 to 2013 and contributed to transport development for urban areas, intercity corridors, and rural roads.

Under his leadership, CSIR-CRRI has made significant advancements, including the development of Steel Slag Technology, AI-based road safety solutions for Nagpur, third-party quality evaluations of the Dwarka Expressway, and the use of industrial waste materials in road construction. Prof. Parida’s work has earned him the Pt. Jawahar Lal Nehru Birth Centenary Award in 2004 and the Outstanding Teacher Award from IIT Roorkee. He is currently the convener of the H-8 Committee and Chairman of the PCD-6 Committee on Bitumen and other products of the Bureau of Indian Standards.

CSIR-CRRI, under Prof. Parida’s guidance, is currently executing major projects in Odisha, including road asset management, bridge assessments, and a state-wide road safety audit. Prof. Parida is committed to advancing IRC’s efforts in deploying state-of-the-art technologies for road development across India.