Jayant Narlikar passes away at 87, who was the celebrated astrophysicist, Padma Vibhushan awardee?
astrophysicist
, science communicator, and founding director of the Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (
IUCAA
), passed away in his sleep in Pune on Tuesday. He was 87.
Narlikar, who had recently undergone hip surgery, leaves behind a towering legacy in Indian science, education, and public outreach. He is survived by his three daughters — Geeta, Girija, and Leelavati — all of whom are engaged in scientific research.
Dr. Narlikar was globally respected for his contributions to
cosmology
, particularly for proposing alternatives to the Big Bang theory. In
India
, he played a foundational role in creating world-class institutions for research in astronomy and astrophysics.
Continue to video
5
5
Next
Stay
Playback speed
1x Normal
Back
0.25x
0.5x
1x Normal
1.5x
2x
5
5
/
Skip
Ads by
Sponsored Links
Sponsored Links
Promoted Links
Promoted Links
You May Like
20 Most Expensive Cars In The World
LuxYouDesire.com
Undo
A scholar of rare distinction
Born on July 19, 1938, in Kolhapur, Narlikar was raised in an intellectually vibrant environment. His father, Vishnu Vasudeva Narlikar, was a noted mathematician and head of the Mathematics Department at Banaras Hindu University (BHU), where Jayant completed his early education.
Live Events
He later went on to Cambridge University for higher studies, becoming a Wrangler and earning the Tyson Medal in the Mathematical Tripos — a mark of top academic distinction.
Upon returning to India, he joined the
Tata Institute of Fundamental Research
(TIFR), serving there from 1972 to 1989. It was during this time that he laid the groundwork for what would become one of India's foremost astronomy institutions — the IUCAA in Pune, established in 1988 under his leadership. Narlikar remained its director until his retirement in 2003 and continued as Emeritus Professor thereafter. His vision turned IUCAA into a globally respected hub for astrophysics education and research.
For his pioneering efforts, he received multiple national and international honours — including the
Padma Bhushan
in 1965 at just 26 years old, and the Padma Vibhushan in 2004. In 2011, the Maharashtra government awarded him the Maharashtra Bhushan, its highest civilian honour.
Popularising science beyond academia
Dr. Narlikar was not just a scientist but also a passionate science communicator. He authored numerous popular science books and articles, and appeared frequently on radio and television to explain complex scientific ideas in simple terms. In 1996, UNESCO honoured him with the
Kalinga Prize
for the popularisation of science.
His work in science fiction, particularly for young readers, further cemented his role as a public intellectual and mentor.
In 2014, his Marathi-language autobiography earned the Sahitya Akademi award, reflecting his ability to reach and inspire audiences beyond the lab and lecture hall. He has also been awarded the Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan, Maharashtra Bhushan, and several others.
His wife, Mangala Narlikar — a mathematician in her own right — passed away in 2023. Together, they were a rare academic couple who fostered a legacy of intellectual excellence.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News18
an hour ago
- News18
NISAR mission enters critical 90-day commissioning phase
Agency: Chennai, Aug 1 (PTI) The historic NISAR mission, a landmark collaboration between NASA and ISRO, has entered its crucial 90-day commissioning phase, during which scientists will carry out rigorous checks, calibrations and orbital adjustments to prepare the satellite for full-scale earth observation. The critical phase follows the successful launch of the radar imaging satellite on July 30 aboard a GSLV-F16 rocket from Srikharikota in Andhra Pradesh. Speaking to PTI, Gerald W Bawden, Program Manager for Natural Hazards Research at NASA's Earth Sciences Division, outlined the key activities underway. 'NISAR is inserted at an altitude of 737 km and we need to actually rise up to 747 km and it will take about 45-50 days for those operations to take place," he explained. After the commissioning is complete, he said the radars will be activated and it will start collecting data over 'all ICE, all land, all the time" from the Earth. 'The resolution will be 5 metres by 5 metres and we will be imaging that every 12 days. So it is a lot of data. It is more data that NASA has collected in any other mission." On the key lessons from the collaboration with the Bengaluru-based space agency for the NISAR mission, the scientist said, NASA learned from the ISRO's focus on how science can help society, while ISRO gained from NASA's deep focus on scientific research. Bawden said the project brought together scientists from two countries on opposite sides of the world, with a 12.5-hour time difference. '… we had culture differences and the other thing is that we are on the opposite side of the world. We have to work together and we have the common love for technology." 'The two scientists (of ISRO and NASA) are building partnerships by working together, friendships. This NISAR partnership is more than building an amazing satellite, it is teams that are together to solve bigger problems," he noted. Responding to a query on the opportunities the collaboration with ISRO offers for NASA, NASA Earth Sciences Division Program Executive Sanghamitra B Dutta said, 'This is the first large earth observing misison that India and the United States have put together. India is also working on this human space flight. So there are collaborations between the US and India on this over the last 4-5 years." 'An Indian astronaut (Subhanshu Shukla) recently went to the International Space Station that has also been built as part of a collaboration between the US and India. We are enormously proud to work with each other and it will come in future in the commercial area, space collaboration and technology development, science area," she said. Regarding the mission's dual-band radar, Dutta said radar missions have happened in the past. 'But simultaneous observation (of the Earth) in two different frequencies by two different radars flying together did not happen before. Scientists need not confine to the boundary of a country and they always discuss possibilities of new missions and bigger and better science," she said. During discussions, Dutta said scientists from ISRO and NASA came up with the idea to fly two Radars at once, using two different frequencies to collect more data in different technical ways. 'The idea was first discussed between Space Applications Centre, ISRO Ahmedabad and scientists from Jet Propulsion Laboratory, NASA. They discussed, brainstormed and came up with the idea of two radars working simultaneously." Supporting Dutta's statement, Bawden said there are major benefits of having two frequencies. 'We have technology challenge, and at the end of the day, we are building the technology to address scientific questions and NASA has the long L Band while ISRO has S band. It is fantastic to study agriculture like how corn grows, soya beans grow." PTI VIJ ROH view comments First Published: August 01, 2025, 11:15 IST News agency-feeds NISAR mission enters critical 90-day commissioning phase Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Economic Times
an hour ago
- Economic Times
Scientists uncover a sky monster; lightning megaflash so massive it spanned hundreds of miles and 5 US states
TIL Creatives The incredible bolt stretched from Texas to near Kansas City in 2017, but took years to confirm due to the complexities of satellite data and evolving lightning science. The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has confirmed a new world record for the longest single lightning flash ever recorded, an astonishing 829 kilometers (515 miles). This 'megaflash' lit up the sky during a powerful thunderstorm on 22 October 2017, spanning from eastern Texas to near Kansas City, Missouri. That's roughly the distance between Paris and Venice, and more equivalent to Toronto to New lightning event was so vast that it would take a car around 8–9 hours to cover that route on the ground, or a commercial airplane about 90 minutes in the sky. Also Read: Not Big Bang, new theory uses 'Gravity' and 'Quantum Physics' to explain the universe's birthWhile the lightning occurred in 2017, it wasn't until 2025 that it was officially recognized as the longest-ever lightning flash recorded. So, why the delay? The answer lies in technology and data analysis. At the time, scientists didn't have the tools or processing power to detect such a massive lightning flash. It was only after a re-examination of satellite data from the storm, using more advanced methods, that the enormous scale of the flash was finally revealed. The record was published in the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society. Traditionally, ground-based systems like the Lightning Mapping Array (LMA) were used to track lightning. These systems have limitations; they can only "see" lightning within a certain distance. That means extra-long lightning flashes could be missed or only partially WMO press release said that the breakthrough came with the launch of GOES-16, a US weather satellite equipped with Geostationary Lightning Mapper (GLM) technology. It offers a bird's-eye view of thunderstorms over large areas. GOES-16, along with newer satellites like GOES-17, 18, and 19, made it possible to detect the full extent of the 2017 megaflash. The WMO says this record isn't just about numbers it highlights real safety risks. Lightning can strike far from where a storm seems to rare 'megaflashes' can travel hundreds of kilometers away from the main thundercloud, potentially affecting aircraft, starting wildfires, or catching people off guard.'Lightning is a source of wonder but also a major hazard that claims many lives around the world every year,' said Celeste Saulo, WMO WMO keeps an official archive of lightning extremes. Here are a few records: Longest-lasting lightning flash: 17.1 seconds, recorded over Uruguay and Argentina in 2020. Most people killed by one strike: 21 people in a hut in Zimbabwe in 1975. Deadliest indirect strike: 469 people died in Dronka, Egypt, in 1994 after lightning struck oil tanks, causing a deadly fire. Scientists believe even longer lightning flashes could exist. As satellite technology improves and data grows, more megaflashes may become apparent.'Extreme lightning events push the limits of what we can observe,' said Michael Peterson, lead author of the WMO evaluation and lightning researcher at Georgia Tech, in the press release.'With better tools and more data, we're just beginning to understand the full power of these natural phenomena.'Experts warn that the only truly safe places during a thunderstorm are inside buildings with plumbing and wiring or in metal-roofed vehicles. Tents, sheds, open beaches, and motorcycles offer no protection.
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
Scientists uncover a sky monster; lightning megaflash so massive it spanned hundreds of miles and 5 US states
The World Meteorological Organization ( WMO ) has confirmed a new world record for the longest single lightning flash ever recorded, an astonishing 829 kilometers (515 miles). This 'megaflash' lit up the sky during a powerful thunderstorm on 22 October 2017, spanning from eastern Texas to near Kansas City, Missouri. That's roughly the distance between Paris and Venice, and more equivalent to Toronto to New York. The lightning event was so vast that it would take a car around 8–9 hours to cover that route on the ground, or a commercial airplane about 90 minutes in the sky. Explore courses from Top Institutes in Please select course: Select a Course Category MCA Others Leadership Artificial Intelligence Healthcare Data Analytics Technology Design Thinking CXO Degree Data Science Product Management Operations Management PGDM Digital Marketing MBA Project Management others Data Science Management Cybersecurity healthcare Public Policy Skills you'll gain: Programming Proficiency Data Handling & Analysis Cybersecurity Awareness & Skills Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning Duration: 24 Months Vellore Institute of Technology VIT Master of Computer Applications Starts on Aug 14, 2024 Get Details Also Read: Not Big Bang, new theory uses 'Gravity' and 'Quantum Physics' to explain the universe's birth by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Struggling With Belly Fat? Try This at Home Home Fitness Hack Shop Now Undo How was it discovered after 8 years? While the lightning occurred in 2017, it wasn't until 2025 that it was officially recognized as the longest-ever lightning flash recorded. Live Events So, why the delay? The answer lies in technology and data analysis. At the time, scientists didn't have the tools or processing power to detect such a massive lightning flash. It was only after a re-examination of satellite data from the storm, using more advanced methods, that the enormous scale of the flash was finally revealed. The record was published in the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society . The role of space-based lightning trackers Traditionally, ground-based systems like the Lightning Mapping Array (LMA) were used to track lightning. These systems have limitations; they can only "see" lightning within a certain distance. That means extra-long lightning flashes could be missed or only partially recorded. The WMO press release said that the breakthrough came with the launch of GOES-16, a US weather satellite equipped with Geostationary Lightning Mapper (GLM) technology. It offers a bird's-eye view of thunderstorms over large areas. GOES-16, along with newer satellites like GOES-17, 18, and 19, made it possible to detect the full extent of the 2017 megaflash . The WMO says this record isn't just about numbers it highlights real safety risks. Lightning can strike far from where a storm seems to be. These rare 'megaflashes' can travel hundreds of kilometers away from the main thundercloud, potentially affecting aircraft, starting wildfires, or catching people off guard. 'Lightning is a source of wonder but also a major hazard that claims many lives around the world every year,' said Celeste Saulo, WMO Secretary-General. Other lightning extremes The WMO keeps an official archive of lightning extremes. Here are a few records: Longest-lasting lightning flash: 17.1 seconds, recorded over Uruguay and Argentina in 2020. Most people killed by one strike: 21 people in a hut in Zimbabwe in 1975. Deadliest indirect strike: 469 people died in Dronka, Egypt, in 1994 after lightning struck oil tanks, causing a deadly fire. Could bigger strikes come? Scientists believe even longer lightning flashes could exist. As satellite technology improves and data grows, more megaflashes may become apparent. 'Extreme lightning events push the limits of what we can observe,' said Michael Peterson, lead author of the WMO evaluation and lightning researcher at Georgia Tech, in the press release. 'With better tools and more data, we're just beginning to understand the full power of these natural phenomena.' Experts warn that the only truly safe places during a thunderstorm are inside buildings with plumbing and wiring or in metal-roofed vehicles. Tents, sheds, open beaches, and motorcycles offer no protection.
