Narlikar and Srinivasan leave behind a shining legacy in the world of science

It is with profound grief that I share the news of the passing away on May 20 of two prominent Indian scientists — Dr Jayant Narlikar and Dr MR Srinivasan. Dr Narlikar was 86 and Dr Srinivasan 95. Nehru Science Centre, of which I was the Director, had the honour of hosting lectures of both these scientists.

Dr Jayant Vishnu Narlikar was an eminent scientist in astrophysics and cosmology. He was also a great science communicator, including in Marathi.

Dr MR Srinivasan was one of the founding members of the Atomic Energy Commission. He worked with Dr Homi Bhabha and also served as Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission and Secretary, Department of Atomic Energy (DAE).

As we mourn their loss, it is also a time to reflect on and celebrate their life of extraordinary intellect and their contributions to our nation.

Dr Narlikar's contributions to theoretical astrophysics, his role in nurturing scientific talent in India and in the establishment of the Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA), a globally acclaimed institution, and his efforts to make science accessible to all will continue to inspire generations.

Narlikar was born in Kolhapur, Maharashtra, on July 19, 1938. He received his early education at Banaras Hindu University (BHU), where his father was Professor and Head of the Department of Mathematics. Young Jayant Narlikar had a brilliant career in school and the intermediate. He obtained his BSc degree from BHU in 1957.

Narlikar opted to pursue his higher studies at the Cambridge, UK. He was a Wrangler and Tyson Medallist in the Mathematical Tripos at Cambridge, from where he obtained his degrees in mathematics: BA (1960), PhD (1963), MA (1964), and ScD (1976). He also distinguished himself at Cambridge with the Smith's Prize in 1962 and the Adams Prize in 1967. He stayed back there till 1972 as a Fellow of King's College (1963-72) and Founder Staff Member of the Institute of Theoretical Astronomy (1966-72).

It was during this period that Dr Narlikar laid the foundations of his research work in cosmology and astrophysics in collaboration with his internationally acclaimed mentor, guide and collaborator, Fred Hoyle. One of Dr Narlikar's most significant contributions is his development of the "Hoyle-Narlikar Theory", also known as the "Quasi-Steady State Cosmology (QSSC)". This cosmological theory proposes an alternative explanation for the origin and evolution of the universe, challenging the widely accepted Big Bang theory of that time.

Dr Narlikar returned to India in 1972 to join the Theoretical Astrophysics Group at the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), where he served for 17 long years. This group, under the leadership of Dr Narlikar, expanded and acquired international standing for TIFR in the field of theoretical astrophysics, which TIFR continues to enjoy even today.

In 1988, Dr Narlikar was invited by the University Grants Commission (UGC) to set up the IUCAA as its Founder-Director.

He was a recipient of the Bhatnagar award as well as of the MP Birla award, the Prix Janssen of the French Astronomical Society and the prestigious Associate of the Royal Astronomical Society of London. He was a Fellow of the three national science academies as well as of the Third World Academy of Sciences.

For his stellar contributions to science communication and popularising science, Dr Narlikar was honoured by the UNESCO in 1996 with the prestigious Kalinga Award. Dr Narlikar was conferred the Padma Bhushan award by the Government of India in 1965 and the Padma Vibhushan in 2004. In 2011, the Maharashtra Government awarded him the state's highest civilian award, the Maharashtra Bhushan.

Dr Narlikar served as the Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Nehru Science Centre, Mumbai. I have had the honour of heading the Centre for two terms.

MR Srinivasan was born on January 5, 1930 in Bangalore. He was one of the towering personalities who ably guided the Indian nuclear programme. He completed his mechanical engineering from the UVCE, Bangalore, in 1950. He did his masters in fluid mechanics, heat transfer and applied mathematics and his post-graduation in gas turbines and acquired a doctorate from McGill University, Canada.

Dr Srinivasan was hand-picked by Dr Homi J Bhabha to work for the DAE. He joined the DAE as senior research officer in September 1955. He was deputed to the UK Atomic Energy Authority for an international course in reactor technology at Harwell. His first assignment with the DAE was to work with the group responsible for the construction of the first research reactor of Swimming Pool Type, later named Apsara.

In 1959, a project group was constituted for setting up the first nuclear power plant. Dr MR Srinivasan was the principal project engineer of a boiling water reactor of US design at Tarapore.

In early 1967, he was appointed as the chief construction engineer of the Madras Atomic Power Project. It was the first indigenously designed pressurised heavy water reactor based on CANDU technology. The construction work at the power station involved many new and challenging techniques in civil engineering.

He was made the Chairman of the Nuclear Power Board, DAE, in 1984. Dr MR Srinivasan served as Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission from 1987 until his retirement in February, 1990. He hastened the process of setting up the Nuclear Power Corporation of India, which was created in September 1987, with Dr Srinivasan as Founder-Chairman.

In 1984, he was awarded the Padma Shri, the Padma Bhushan in 1990, and the Padma Vibhushan in 2015. He is the author of the book, 'From Fission to Fusion: The Story of India's Atomic Energy Programme' (Viking Penguin, 2003).

Dr MR Srinivasan has also written extensively in the print media on the significance of the development of nuclear energy for India's energy mix and has appeared regularly on TV programmes to engage on nuclear issues and nuclear safety.

Nehru Science Centre, Mumbai, had the honour to host him for the Raman Memorial Lecture on February 28, 2020, when he was 90.

Rest in peace, Dr Narlikar and Dr Srinivasan. You both will ever be remembered.

Shivaprasad Khened is former Director, Nehru Science Centre, Mumbai and former Director National Science Centre, Delhi.