Beyond his groundbreaking research in cosmology, Narlikar earned a distinguished reputation as a passionate science communicator. His efforts to popularise science through books, articles, and radio and television programs earned him global recognition.
Eminent astrophysicist, science populariser and founding director of the Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA), Dr Jayant Vishnu Narlikar, passed away in his sleep in Pune on Tuesday. He was 87. Recently recovering from a hip surgery, Dr Narlikar leaves behind an extraordinary legacy in the realms of Indian science, education, and public outreach. He is survived by his three daughters — Geeta, Girija, and Leelavati — all of whom have followed in his footsteps into scientific research.
Dr Narlikar earned international acclaim for his pioneering work in cosmology, notably for proposing alternative theories to the widely accepted Big Bang model. In India, he played a transformative role in establishing top-tier institutions dedicated to astronomy and astrophysics.
Who was Jayant Narlikar?
Born on July 19, 1938, in Maharashtra’s Kolhapur, Narlikar was nurtured in an intellectually rich environment. His father, Vishnu Vasudeva Narlikar, was a distinguished mathematician and led the Mathematics Department at Banaras Hindu University (BHU), where Jayant completed his schooling. He later attended Cambridge University, where he achieved the rare distinction of becoming a Wrangler and was awarded the prestigious Tyson Medal in the Mathematical Tripos — a testament to his exceptional academic prowess.
Upon returning to India, Narlikar joined the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), where he worked from 1972 to 1989. During this time, he conceptualised and spearheaded the establishment of IUCAA in Pune, which came into being in 1988. Under his visionary leadership, IUCAA quickly rose to global prominence as a centre for cutting-edge research and education in astrophysics. He served as its director until his retirement in 2003 and continued to contribute as Emeritus Professor in the years that followed.
Full list of awards conferred to Jayant Narlikar:
In recognition of his invaluable contributions, Dr Narlikar received several national and international accolades. He was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 1965 at the remarkably young age of 26, followed by the Padma Vibhushan in 2004. In 2011, the Maharashtra government honoured him with the Maharashtra Bhushan in 2010, the state’s highest civilian award.
Narlikar’s illustrious career was marked by numerous accolades, both in India and abroad. In 1981, he was honoured with the ‘Rashtra Bhushan’ award by the FIE Foundation in Ichalkaranji. Over the years, he also received several prestigious scientific awards, including the Bhatnagar Award, the MP Birla Award, and the Prix Jules Janssen — the highest recognition from the French Astronomical Society (Société astronomique de France). He held esteemed positions as an Associate of the Royal Astronomical Society in London and was a Fellow of all three major Indian science academies, as well as the Third World Academy of Sciences.
Beyond his groundbreaking research in cosmology, Narlikar earned a distinguished reputation as a passionate science communicator. His efforts to popularise science through books, articles, and radio and television programs earned him global recognition — most notably the Kalinga Prize from UNESCO in 1996.
His contributions to Hindi and regional literature were equally commendable. In 1989, he received the ‘Atmaram Award’ from the Central Hindi Directorate, followed by the Indira Gandhi Award from the Indian National Science Academy in 1990. He also served as a jury member for the Physical Sciences category of the Infosys Prize in 2009.
In 2014, his literary accomplishments were celebrated when he received the Sahitya Akademi Award for his Marathi autobiography Chaar Nagarantale Maze Vishwa. He was later chosen to preside over the 94th Akhil Bharatiya Marathi Sahitya Sammelan, held in Nashik in January 2021 — further highlighting his multifaceted contributions to science and literature.