Sankar Kumar Pal


Sankar Kumar Pal is an Indian computer scientist and the president of the Indian Statistical Institute, Kolkata. He is also an ANRF Prime Minister Professor of the Government of India. He is known for his work in pattern recognition, image processing, fuzzy neural network, rough fuzzy hybridization, soft computing, granular mining, and machine intelligence. He pioneered the development of fuzzy set theory, neuro-fuzzy and rough-fuzzy computing for uncertainty modelling with demonstrations in pattern recognition, image processing, machine learning, knowledge-based systems and data mining. He founded the Machine Intelligence Unit in 1993, and the Center for Soft Computing Research in 2004, both at the ISI.
He is a recipient of Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize in 1990. He was awarded the Padma Shri in Science and Engineering on 5 April 2013, by the President of India Pranab Mukherjee in recognition of his work in machine intelligence.

Education and career

Pal studied at the University of Calcutta for his BSc in physics, BTech, and MTech in radio physics and electronics. He received a PhD in radio physics and electronics from the Rajabazar Science College campus of the University of Calcutta in 1979 as a student of Indian Statistical Institute, and another PhD in electrical engineering along with Diploma of the Imperial College from Imperial College of Science and Technology, University of London, in 1982. His first PhD was in pattern recognition, while the other was in image processing.
After completing his PhD at Imperial College, London as a Commonwealth Scholar, he continued as a post-doctoral fellow from 1982 to 1983 as a UK Medical Research Council Fellow. Subsequently, Pal worked at the University of California, Berkeley and University of Maryland, College Park during 1986 to 1987 as a Fulbright Fellow; at the NASA Johnson Space Center from 1990 to 1992 and in 1994 as a US National Academy of Sciences-National Research Council Senior Resident Research Associate; and at the US Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, D.C. in 2004 as a visiting scientist. He had been a Distinguished Visitor of IEEE Computer Society for Asia-Pacific Region since 1997, and held several visiting positions in Australia, Poland, Italy, France, New Zealand, Japan and Hong Kong universities. He established sustained research collaborations with many foreign universities, particularly in Europe such as the Warsaw University, Poland, Naples University, Italy and INSEAD, France under joint agreements between Nations or Institutes, and Hong Kong Poly University, Hong Kong, China.
Pal joined the Indian Statistical Institute, Kolkata, as a CSIR Senior Research Fellow in 1975, and eventually entered into full professor position in 1987. He was appointed Distinguished Scientist in 1998, later serving as Director during 2005-2010 and President during 2022-2026. He retired from the Indian Statistical Institute as a Distinguished Scientist in 2015. He was the first computer scientist, as well as someone outside statistics and mathematics, to become the director of ISI in its 75-year history. He is also the first ex-employee of ISI being elected to hold the honorable chair of President of ISI since its inception in 1931.
His areas of research interests include: pattern recognition, machine intelligence, image processing, data mining, granular computing, fuzzy sets and uncertainty analysis, artificial neural networks, genetic algorithms, rough sets, and soft computing with applications ranging from speech recognition, medical imaging, remote sensing image analysis to bioinformatics, video analytics, online social network analysis, and cognitive mind development. He has pioneered hybrid intelligent systems like neuro fuzzy and rough fuzzy hybridization.
Augmentation of the original definition of soft computing by introducing rough sets as its fifth constituent is another contribution of his research. This enhances greatly the computational intelligence of soft computing methodologies. All these have led to significant synergistic technological developments in modern AI and data science. His image processing research in the 1970s is one of the first investigations that brings out the root relation between the abstract concept of fuzzy sets and image processing basic tasks like image enhancement, edge detection, primitive extraction and segmentation, and the associated uncertainties involved. Subsequently, definitions for image entropy and generalized rough-fuzzy entropy based on logarithmic and exponential gain functions are provided for modelling the uncertainty. This fundamental work laid the foundation for fuzzy image processing and computer vision research.
His other highly cited original research include: i) Unsupervised dimensionality reduction algorithm Granular computing concept and decision-making models Z*-number, developed in mid 2010s, for machine subjectivity representation in machine-mind development by encapsulating the objective and subjective time, context, and affect components in natural language of thoughts, speech, and texts.
According to his official academic profile, Pal has co-authored over 500 research publications, 21 books and conference proceedings, and holds two US patents. He has served/serving as editor in most of the well-known scientific journals in computer science and engineering.
His book "Fuzzy Mathematical Approach to Pattern Recognition", John Wiley and Sons, N.Y., 1986 had been translated into Indonesian Bahasa and Chinese Languages.
Pal was instrumental in introducing the Soft Computing concept and research in India in the mid 1990s. For his seminal contributions and being regarded as the architect, the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India, established under his leadership as the Principal Investigator the Center for Soft Computing Research, first in Asia, in 2004 at ISI, Kolkata. Subsequently, CSCR is declared by the Governing Body of ISI as an Associate Institute of ISI in 2010. Apart from acting as a strong base for nationwide research and training with linkage to industries and premier institutes in India and abroad, CSCR had special provision for funding and mentoring less endowed institutions, including those in North-East regions of India.
It is during Pal's directorship of ISI, when the birthday of Prof. P.C. Mahalanobis, the founder of ISI, was declared by the Prime Minister of India on 24 Dec 2006, as the “National Statistics Day” to be celebrated every year over the country. Further, establishing the ISI-Chennai Center, approving the ISI-North Eastern Center, and replacing UGC-pay scales by higher IISc-pay scales for faculty at ISI, are some other major achievements under his visionary leadership as Director of ISI.
Pal is the founder president of the Indian National Academy of Engineering, Kolkata Chapter.
Biennial International Conference on Pattern Recognition and Machine Intelligence, started in 2005, is his another brainchild. This facilitates regular interaction among Indian researchers with international experts in AI, ML and related areas for advancing science and technology.

Philanthropic activities

Besides his academic and research contributions, Pal has instituted the following awards through donations to his Alma-maters, starting from school education. These philanthropic activities are aimed at nurturing the talent and scientific spirit as well as to help the students from less privileged community, which in turn benefits the society: i) Two Merit-cum-Means Scholarships in 2013 for supporting two economically backward students of Classes IX and X every year in his Alma-mater, Ariadaha Kalachand High School, Kolkata 700057, India. This facilitates them to complete their secondary school education. ii) A Gold Medal Award at Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda Centenary College, Rahara, Kolkata 700118, India in 2024 for the Best Graduating BSc Student across all science disciplines A Gold Medal Award at Indian Statistical Institute, Kolkata 700108 in 2003 for the Best M.Tech. Besides, he has been donating frequently to the Student Assistance Fund of Imperial College of Science & Technology, London, UK, his another Alma-mater, to help students from the developing world who face hardship to complete their study.

Family

Pal was born on September 13, 1950, to Sunity Kumar Pal and Parul Bala Pal. He is the second of five siblings and has two sons, Dhiman Sankar Pal and Anshuman Sankar Pal, with his wife, Amita Pal.

Awards and recognition

Pal is the recipient of numerous awards and honours including:
Pal is an elected Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers; The World Academy of Sciences for the Advancement of Science in Developing Countries ; International Association for Pattern Recognition; International Fuzzy Systems Association; International Rough Set Society; Asia-Pacific Artificial Intelligence Association; International Artificial Intelligence Industry Alliance; Web Intelligence Academy ; Indian National Science Academy; The National Academy of Sciences, India; Indian Academy of Sciences; and Indian National Academy of Engineering. He is an elected Foreign member of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts. Currently, he is the 14th President of Indian Statistical Institute and a Vice-President of the International Artificial Intelligence Industry Alliance, Hong Kong.