Mr. Rittik Sarkar is an emerging entomology researcher with a strong academic record and research interests focused on insect pest management, precision agriculture, drone-based pesticide application, bioassay techniques, and smart agricultural technologies. He has demonstrated academic excellence by securing All India Rank 2 (AIR 2) in ICAR AIEEA (PG) 2023 in Entomology and Nematology and All India Subject Rank 3 (AIR 3) in ICAR AICE-JRF/SRF (Ph.D.) 2025 in Entomology. He has also been awarded the ICAR National Talent Scholarship, ICAR-PG Scholarship, and ICAR-JRF/SRF (Ph.D.).

Professionally, he serves as a Subject Manager & Mentor in Entomology at AgriAddict Academy, where he contributes to agricultural education and competitive examination preparation. His training includes agrochemical formulation and manufacturing, drone technology, intellectual property rights, R-based agricultural data analysis, predictive analytics, and artificial intelligence applications in scientific research.

Research Interests & Expertise

Mr. Sarkar's research focuses on sustainable and precision insect pest management, particularly the integration of emerging technologies into crop protection. His expertise includes:

• UAV/drone-assisted insecticide application and spray optimization
• Insecticide bioassays and efficacy assessment
• Precision crop protection
• Smart pest management and agricultural artificial intelligence
• Spray deposition analysis using DepositScan
• Insect pest dynamics and environmental factors
• Insects as bioindicators of pollution
• Sustainable approaches to agricultural pest management

He is proficient in the handling of agricultural spraying drones, knapsack sprayers, microscopy, SEM, HPLC, NMR, LC-MS, GC-MS, DSC and other laboratory instruments. His computational and statistical skills include R, SPSS, WASP, OPSTAT, GRAPES, Microsoft Office, and DepositScan.

Publications & Scientific Contributions

Mr. Sarkar has contributed to research articles, review papers, book chapters, and popular scientific articles in areas related to entomology and agricultural technology. His publications address contemporary topics such as UAV-administered insecticides against brown planthopper, RNA interference for sustainable pest management, drone-based pesticide application, El Niño and insect pest dynamics, AI-enabled smart pest management, and insect-based environmental monitoring.

His publication record reflects an interdisciplinary approach connecting entomology, agricultural engineering, precision agriculture, artificial intelligence, and sustainable crop protection.

Awards, Scholarships & Academic Achievements

His academic and competitive achievements include:

• AIR 2, ICAR AIEEA (PG) 2023 – Entomology and Nematology
• AIR 3, ICAR AICE-JRF/SRF (Ph.D.) 2025 – Entomology
• ICAR National Talent Scholarship (NTS-UG), 2019
• ICAR-PG Scholarship, 2023–24
• ICAR-JRF/SRF (Ph.D.), 2025
• First Position in Qrious National Level Quiz Competition, ADAMYA'23
• First Position in IARI Foundation Day Quiz Competition, 2025
• Multiple national-level second positions in agricultural, environmental and entomology quiz competitions
• Best Oral Presentation and Best Rapid Oral Presentation awards at several national conferences and symposia, including EntoFrontiers 2026

Presentations & Professional Engagement

Mr. Sarkar has demonstrated strong scientific communication skills through multiple oral and rapid oral presentations. He has received recognition for presentations at national-level entomology and agriculture events, including the 1st National Seminar on Emerging Trends in Agriculture and Allied Sciences and EntoFrontiers 2026.

He is an annual member of the Entomological Society of India (ESI) and a student member of the Royal Entomological Society (RES), UK, reflecting his engagement with professional entomological communities.

Training, Workshops & Practical Exposure

His professional development includes exposure to agrochemical formulation and manufacturing, drone technology, IPR, agricultural data analysis, predictive analytics, and AI-based scientific research. His practical training and research skills strengthen his ability to apply modern technologies to real-world crop protection challenges.

Community & Extracurricular Contributions

Through the Rural Agricultural Work Experience (RAWE) Programme, Mr. Sarkar has participated in farmer interactions, agricultural extension and field activities. He has also been involved in NSS activities, blood donation camps and cleanliness initiatives.

Beyond academics, he has achieved notable positions in quiz, chess and photography competitions, while actively participating in debates, speeches, sports and insect photography.

Eligibility for Young Researcher Award 

Mr. Rittik Sarkar is eligible for the Young Researcher Award in Scientific Laurels in recognition of his promising contributions to entomological research and sustainable agricultural pest management. His outstanding national-level academic rankings, multiple ICAR scholarships, peer-reviewed publications, book chapters, scientific presentations, research-oriented technical skills, and repeated awards for oral presentations demonstrate strong research potential at an early career stage.

His work integrating drone technology, precision pesticide application, bioassay-based pest management, artificial intelligence and data-driven agricultural practices represents a modern and innovative approach to crop protection. His combination of academic excellence, research productivity, professional engagement and commitment to sustainable agriculture makes Mr. Rittik Sarkar a deserving candidate for the Young Researcher Award – Scientific Laurels.