London, UK: Indian researcher Anindya Majhi has earned the highly regarded Research Fellowship from the Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851.

Currently affiliated with The University of Manchester, Majhi specializes in geography and has now been recognized with one of the UK's most competitive fellowships, awarded annually to a select few. The Royal Commission's fellowship is a mark of excellence, previously held by renowned scientists including Nobel laureates Peter Higgs and Ernest Rutherford.

Majhi's academic journey began with a bachelor's degree in Geography from Presidency University, Kolkata, in 2017. He pursued a postgraduate diploma in Applied Remote Sensing and GIS at Jadavpur University in 2018, and later obtained an MSc in Physical Land Resources, focusing on Soil Science, from Ghent University and Vrije Universiteit Brussel in 2020.

The University of Manchester announced that Majhi was chosen from approximately 350 international candidates, competing for only eight to nine available fellowships. Expressing his excitement, Majhi said, "Being selected as a Science and Engineering Research Fellow by the Royal Commission is a huge honor. With such a distinguished list of past recipients, I am truly delighted."

Majhi has recently completed his PhD at Manchester, where his work explored the issue of gully erosion in India. His research was supervised by Dr Angela Harris, Professor Martin Evans, and Dr Emma Shuttleworth. Following a successful Viva with minor revisions, Majhi is preparing to commence a new research endeavor at University College London later this year.

He noted, "This fellowship gives me an excellent platform to extend my investigation into gully erosion—a major but often neglected type of land degradation. Building on my doctoral research focused on India, I aim to examine its effects on soils and landscapes globally."

Dr Emma Shuttleworth praised Majhi's dedication, stating, "Anindya PhD was ambitious and impactful, greatly enriching our understanding of gully erosion in the Indian context. This fellowship will support his continued contributions to global soil research, which is crucial for sustainable land management."

She further remarked, "Anindya is already establishing himself as an authority on gully erosion. I am confident he will become an influential figure in geomorphology and soil science. I look forward to seeing where his research leads and collaborating again in the future."