PREVIOUS AWARDEES

 

1993	Prof. J. V. Narlikar (Cosmology)
1995	Prof. Govind Swarup (Radio Astronomy)
1997	Prof. K. Kasturirangan (Space Research)
1999	Prof. S. M. Chitre (Solar Physics)
2001	Prof. K. D. Abhyankar (Stellar Astrophysics)
2003	Prof. P. C. Agrawal (High Energy Astrophysics)
2005	Prof. V. Radhakrishnan (Radio Astronomy, Stellar Astrophysics)

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M. P. BIRLA MEMORIAL AWARD 2005

• Profile of the Awardee Prof. V. Radhakrishnan
• Citation

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M. P. Birla Institute of Fundamental Research, Kolkata

M. P. Birla Memorial Award 2005

Profile of the Awardee

Professor Venkataraman Radhakrishnan

The M. P. Birla Memorial Award 2005 has been conferred on Professor Venkataraman  Radhakrishnan, Distinguished Professor Emeritus at the Raman Research Institute, Bangalore . He is an internationally acclaimed Astrophysicist and also renowned for his design and fabrication of ultralight aircrafts and sailboats. Prof. V. Radhakrishnan (born on 18 May 1929) has received his B.Sc.(Hon) from Mysore University. He has started his research career as a research scholar at the Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Science Bangalore and thereafter has been in the research faculties of various world famous institutes. He worked in the Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenberg, Sweden as a Research Assistant during 1955-58. He was a Senior Research fellow of the California Institute of Technology, USA before joining the Radiophysics Division of the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Sydney, Australia initially as the Senior Research Scientist and later as the Principal Research Scientist. He returned to India in 1972 and took up the task of rebuilding the Raman Research Institute as it’s Director. During his tenure as the Director of the Raman Research Institute between 1972 –1994 he has built up an international reputation for work in the areas of pulsar astronomy, liquid crystals and other areas of frontline research in Astronomy. The University of Amsterdam has conferred the most prestigious Doctor Honoris Causa degree on Prof. Radhakrishnan in 1996. 

Professor   Radhakrishnan was born in Tondaripet, a suburb of Madras. His earlier schooling was in Madras. He married Mrs. Francoise-Dominique Radhakrishnan. They have one son  Vivek, who is married to Namrata and have recently moved to Bangalore from USA. 

Prof. Radhakrishnan has served on various committees in various capacities. He was the Vice President of the International Astronomical Union during 1988-1994. He served as the Chairman of  Commission J ( Radio Astronomy)  of the International Union of Radio Sciences (1981-84).

Prof. Radhakrishnan is one of the most respected Radio Astronomers in the world today, in that he has been associated in one capacity or other with the world’s biggest radio telescopes. He was member of the Foreign Advisory Committee for the Netherlands Foundation for Radio Astronomy, Steering Committee of the Australia Telescope National Facility, CSIRO, Australia, Advisory Committee for the Green Bank Radio Telescope, National Radio Astronomy Observatory, USA  He has also been  Member of the Governing Council of the Physical Research Laboratory, Ahmedabad and the Scientific Advisory Committee of the Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics. During the period of 1973 – 1981 he was a member of the Indian National Committee for Astronomy. 

Prof. Radhakrishnan has been selected to various scientific bodies, both national and international. He is a Foreign Fellow of both the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences and the U.S. National Science Academy. He is an Associate of the Royal Astronomical Society and a Fellow of the Indian Academy of Sciences, Bangalore.   

Areas of Research 

V. Radhakrishnan has been associated with the field of radio astronomy practically from the beginning of its phenomenal post- World War II growth in the 1950s. He was one of the persons who founded the science of observational astronomy in India. His career has been truly international, starting in Sweden in 1954 and proceeding via CalTech and  CSIRO, Sydney to Banagalore where he has spent the last thirty three years.

Starting with the electronics of receivers, he moved on to technically innovative and astronomically far-reaching studies of the polarization of the radio waves. These include the detection of  radio waves from the Van Allen like belts surrounding Jupiter and the first determination of the true rotation of the core of Jupiter. He was also the first in systematic application of interferometry to polarized brightness brightness distributions and an early study of the Zeeman Effect in the 21cm line emitted by a hydrogen atom. His measurements of polarization of Vela Pulsar were decisive in establishing the picture of a magnetized rotating neutron star and led him to propose the paradigm of curvature radiation from polar caps of neutron stars which has dominated the subject of pulsar emission mechanisms since that time.

The period of his stay in Australia  also marked his leadership of an extensive survey of the absorption and emission of 21 cm line radiation by neutral hydrogen which later helped to develop the realistic model of the interstellar medium. He has also carried out systematic interferometric study of 21 cm absorption towards a large number of galactic and extragalactic sources. His detailed observational and theoretical work on different aspects of  pulsars  is truly  pioneering in the field of Pulsar Astronomy. 

According to his colleagues in different international institutes, each world renowned for their contributions in the field of astronomy & astrophysics, although Prof. Radhakrishnan has a number of important discoveries to his credit, his main impact on astronomy has been in his effect in other people’s research through discussion of the astronomical and technical problems and practical assistance with the later. He is one of the most devoted and perceptive physicists only satisfied with deep understanding of any concept and his interest increases with the strangeness or significance of the phenomenon. He is disinterested in mundane repetitions of other people’s work and searches for new breakthroughs. 

It is not only in the field of astronomy that Prof. Radhakrishnan has kept his mark but also in the designing and fabricating hang-gliders, micro-light aircrafts and  sailboats. His original contributions in these fields have been acknowledged by the Government of India by way of support from the Aeronautics Research Development Board, Ministry of Defence (for designing hang-gliders) and ISRO (for sailboats).

 Publications 

Professor Radhakrishnan has published more than 90 papers in research journals and proceedings of different various International Conferences. He has also co-edited a book, “Supernovae : their Progenitors and Remnants”, published by the Indian Academy of Sciences. He has been the Chairman of the Editorial Board of the Journal of Astrophysics and Astronomy. 

It is to be noted that Prof. Radhakrishnan’s style of doing science has won him a valued place in the astronomical community. It starts by raising a few penetrating questions, which are analysed in informal but deep discussion, shorn of formalism but full of physical insights. By his choice, his name rarely appears in the final publication. His often unconventional views on other matters relating to the pursuit of science, especially radioastronomy, have been expressed to colleagues but rarely published. 

Important Contributions 

Prof. Radhakrishnan’s contribution to science in general and astronomy in particular has been exceptional. As mentioned earlier his observations and theoretical insights have helped the community in unraveling many a mysteries surrounding pulsars, interstellar clouds, galaxy structures and various other celestial bodies. 

In making the Raman Research Institute a world renowned center of excellence in astronomy research he has worked tirelessly. The institute has become well known for his efforts to sustain a unique free and open working atmosphere with emphasis on fostering young talents in an informal and friendly setting and giving it all facilities and encouragement. He has sought to lower barriers between theory and experiment, scientific and technical staff, between physicists and astronomers or staff members and students. This approach, unprecedented not only in the country but perhaps in the rest of the world as well, required his personal attention to every detail in the running of the institute. He was instrumental and closely involved with the construction of the 10.4 metre millimeter wave radio antenna in the Institutes which has been used to study various astrophysical phenomena producing original contributions in pulsar astronomy as well as recombination line studies of the interstellar medium. 

It is not an easy task to touch upon a variety of other topics where he has made important contributions nor on the deep and profound human aspects of his personality. Deuterium abundance in the galaxy, Astrophysical Raman Masers, OH emission from clouds and later on building of the low frequency telescopes at Gauribidanur and Mauritius are some of the hallmarks of his career. 

He has been invited to deliver the prestigious Milne Lecture in Oxford in 1987, and also gave the extremely prestigious Jansky Lecture in 2001. 

To summarise, the best way to describe the life and works of Prof. Radhakrishnan, is to quote the famous scientist, J.B.S. Haldane :  “ Given good conditions anybody could turn out  acceptable work; but the mark of a true scientist is that he can create the requisite conditions and make great discoveries. The scientific career of Prof. Radhakrishnan exemplifies the spirit of this statement.” 

“ Radhakrishnan is unassuming, highly reticent about his own achievements, but with a quick and generous appreciation of good work in others. He is a source of inspiration to not merely the members of his institute but motivates his colleagues everywhere towards higher human values”

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Citation

M. P. BIRLA INSTITUTE OF FUNDAMENTAL RESEARCH
KOLKATA

The Trustees and Members of the Managing Committee of the M. P. Birla Institute of Fundamental Research are pleased to present the M. P.  Birla Memorial Award – 2005 to Professor V. Radhakrishnan, Distinguished Professor Emeritus, Raman Research Institute, Bangalore. 

Prof. Radhakrishnan has contributed  immensely in the field of Astronomy & Astrophysics during his long research career which started in the Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Sciences, Bangalore where he worked as a Research Scholar during 1950-51. After this he has held various research positions in Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden; California Institute of Technology, USA; Radiophysics Division, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Australia. He was Director of the Raman Research Institute during the period 1972-94 and was Director Emeritus during 1994-99. Since then he is working as a Distinguished Professor Emeritus of the Institute. 

Prof. Radhakrishnan has been associated with radio astronomy since its phenomenal growth during the post World War II period in 1950s. His early work on detection and analysis of radio waves from Van Allen belts surrounding the planet Jupiter and the Jupiter itself led to a clear theoretical understanding of these objects for the first time. He had worked in the field of pulsars and neutron stars and his observations had been instrumental in establishing the physical nature and properties of these objects. During his stay in Australia he had contributed immensely in understanding the interstellar medium by his extensive survey of 21 cm radiation by neutral hydrogen. In his long and illustrious research career, Prof. Radhakrishnan has contributed greatly in the fields of pulsars and their emission mechanisms which are truly not only path breaking work in Astronomy but in general in the subject of Physics also.  

At the peak of his recognition Prof. Radhakrishnan chose to return to India and took up the challenging task of re-building the Raman Research Institute in Bangalore after Sir C. V. Raman’s demise in 1970. He has been successful in building up an international reputation for the institute in the fields of astronomy and also liquid crystals. He has created an unique environment in the institute which sustains a free and open working atmosphere with emphasis on fostering young talent in an informal setting and giving it all facilities and encouragement. He is also the guiding force behind fabrication and designing of many advanced instruments developed in the institute and elsewhere which have facilitated observations of celestial objects in a big way.   

For his distinguished work, Prof. Radhakrishnan has been conferred upon with the prestigious Doctor Honoris Causa degree by the University of Amsterdam. He has been elected to the fellowships of world renowned academic bodies. He is a fellow of the Indian Academy of Sciences, Foreign Fellow, Royal Swedish Academy and the National Academy of Sciences, Washington. He is also an Associate of the Royal Astronomical Society, U.K. He has been the Vice-President of the prestigious International Astronomical Union and is at present member of the advisory, academic and steering committees of various national and international research institutes.  

During his extremely busy period of research in Astronomy, Prof. Radhakrishnan has also maintained a long term interest in sailing and more recently in the design and fabrication of ultralight aircraft.  

Prof. Radhakrishnan  has published more than 90 research papers in national  and international journals and edited a book. 

Kolkata

4 July, 2005

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• Started in 1993 this Award is being given once in two years.

• Advertisements inviting the nominations are published in major national dailies.

• Advertisements calling for nominations will be published in important national dailies sufficiently in advance.

• The nomination for the Award could be made by any of the following:

[I] Vice – Chancellors Universities
[ii] Deans of Science of Universities
[iii] Directors of Indian Institutes of Technology
[iv] Directors of National Laboratories
[v] Directors of Scientific Institutions like the Indian Institute of Science, Observatories Indian Space Research Organisation and Deemed Universities etc.
[vi] Distinguished astronomers and scientists
[vii] By the Management of M. P. Birla Institute of Fundamental Research.
 
• The Awardee will be selected by a Jury constituted by the Management consisting, inter alia, of eminent persons in the field of astronomy as well as other sciences and from public life. The recommendation of the Jury will be put up before the Management of the M. P. Birla Institute of Fundamental Research for their consideration.

• The Management may in a particular year nominate on its own a very distinguished and renowned scientist who might have done exemplary research work and who would have received National Honours.
   
• The Awardee will be requested to deliver a lecture called "THE M. P. BIRLA MEMORIAL LECTURE" on the occasion of the presentation of the Award. The lecture will be on a topic related to his field of research activity and the same would be brought out in a Special Issue of the Journal of M. P. Birla Planetarium.
    

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The M. P. Birla Institute of Fundamental Research was founded as an educational, scientific and research institution to undertake studies in astronomy, pure and applied; carry out pedagogic research and impart education in astronomy; popularise astronomy through lectures and conduct and participate in astronomical seminars and conferences. It has been expanding the education and research facilities at its M. P. Birla Planetarium. It started the Post-Graduate Diploma Course in astronomy and planetarium sciences in which distinguished astronomers and observatory directors have delivered lectures. It has been running a Free Evening Course in Astronomy for more than three decades.

The Planetarium, established by Shreeyut M. P. Birla, was was formally inaugurated by Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of India on 2^nd July 1963. The Planetarium, under the aegis of the Institute, has presented more than 200 projects dealing with astronomy, astrophysics, celestial mechanics, space science, history of astronomy as well as mythology concerning stars and planets. It has been conducting programmes for students of various age groups. It has also introduced an M. Phil. Course in astronomy and planetarium sciences in collaboration with the Birla Institute of Technology & Science Pilani. The Planetarium has set up an astronomical observatory with a Celestron 14 Telescope equipped with CCD camera. The Institute has set up an electronics laboratory to develop of new audio-visual equipment for astronomical demonstrations and lectures.

The Planetarium has been regularly bringing out the "Journal of M. P. Birla Planetarium" and has also brought out other publications on astronomy. It has had the honour of hosting the Seventh International Planetarium Directors' Congress in Calcutta.

In the light of this background of scientific research activities, the Institute has introduced an International Award to recognise research in  astronomy, astrophysics and space science and related fields.

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