Dev Raj Sikka was born on 1st March 1932, in Jhang Maghiana in the undivided Punjab. After completing his M.Sc in physical chemistry from Agra University with a first rank, Sikka began his career in the Indian Meteorological Department in 1954. He later joined the Institute of Tropical Meteorology (known today as Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology), becoming its Director in 1986.
Coastal erosion and the proliferation of seawalls, exacerbated by climate change and human activity, are rapidly eliminating critical nesting habitats for sea turtles along the Karnataka coast.