Rishi Raj Sahoo

Rishi Raj Sahoo

Ph.D. Scholar in Computer Science

Machine Learning · Explainability · Privacy · Computer Vision

Welcome!

I am a Ph.D. scholar at the School of Computer Sciences, NISER (National Institute of Science Education and Research), under the supervision of Dr. Subhankar Mishra.

My research lies in machine learning, with a primary focus on the explainability and privacy in graph neural networks. In addition, I work on applying computer vision to develop frameworks for addressing real-world problems.

Research Interests

  • Explainable AI (XAI)
  • Privacy in Machine Learning
  • Graph Neural Networks
  • Computer Vision
  • Smart City Applications

Research & Publications

iWatchRoad: Scalable Detection and Geospatial Visualization of Potholes for Smart Cities

Status: Accepted at ACM IKDD CODS 2025

arxiv.org/abs/2508.10945

ReconXF: Graph Reconstruction Attack via Public Feature Explanations on Privatized Node Features and Labels

Status: Communicated (2025)

arxiv.org/abs/2506.02134

iWatchRoadv2: Pothole Detection, Geospatial Mapping, and Intelligent Road Governance

Status: Communicated (2025)

arxiv.org/abs/2510.16375

Education

Ph.D. in Computer Science
National Institute of Science Education and Research (NISER), Bhubaneswar
Affiliated to Homi Bhabha National Institute (HBNI)
Aug 2024 – Present
CGPA: 9.00
Master of Computer Application
Pondicherry University, Pondicherry
Dec 2022 – Jun 2024
CGPA: 9.51
B.Sc. in Physics (Hons.)
Ravenshaw University, Cuttack
Aug 2019 – Jun 2022
CGPA: 9.30
Higher Secondary (H.S.)
Mother's Public School, Bhubaneswar (CBSE Board)
Apr 2017 – May 2019
Percentage: 94%
Secondary
DAV Public School, Nimapara (CBSE Board)
Apr 2016 – Apr 2017
CGPA: 10.00

Experience

Teaching Assistant

CS101: Introduction to Programming

NISER, Bhubaneswar

Jan 2026 – Present

Instructor: Dr. Subhankar Mishra

Teaching Assistant

Machine Learning for Materials Science

NISER, Bhubaneswar

Aug 2025 – Dec 2025

Instructors: Dr. Subhankar Mishra, Prof. Prasenjit Sen

Website Development Intern

IIG Technology, Bhubaneswar

Feb 2024 – May 2024

Achievements

Exams & Rankings

  • GATE CS 2024 - Rank 6506
  • GATE DA 2024 - Rank 4437
  • UGC NET (CS) Dec 2023 - Qualified for Assistant Professor
  • NIMCET 2022 - Scored 230/400
  • CPET 2022 - Rank 18

Conferences & Workshops

  • ACM IKDD CODS 2025 - Oral and Poster Presentation at IISER Pune (Dec 2025)
  • ACM Winter School - "Decoding AI: Building Explainable and Robust Intelligence" at SRM University, Andhra Pradesh (Dec 2024)

Certifications

  • Hands-on Training on "Mobile Debugging and Troubleshooting" - IobiT Solutions (Feb 2023)
  • Product Ideation through IoT System and Analytics - IobiT Solutions (Mar 2023)

Contact

📧 rishiraj.sahoo@niser.ac.in

📍 Nimapara, Puri, Odisha, 752106