Narendra Kumar (1 February 1940 – 28 August 2017) was an Indian theoretical physicist and a Homi Bhaba Distinguished Professor of the
Department of Atomic Energy
The Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) (IAST: ''Paramāṇu Ūrjā Vibhāga'') is a department with headquarters in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. DAE was established in 1954 by a Presidential Order. DAE has been engaged in the development of nucl ...
at
Raman Research Institute
The Raman Research Institute (RRI) is an institute for scientific research located in Bangalore, India. It was founded by Nobel laureate C. V. Raman in 1948. Although it began as an institute privately owned by Sir C. V. Raman, it is now fund ...
. He was also an honorary professor at
Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research
The Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR) is a multidisciplinary research institute located at Jakkur, Bangalore, India. It was established by the Department of Science and Technology of the Government of India, to ...
.
Known for his research on
disordered systems and
superconductivity
Superconductivity is a set of physical properties observed in certain materials where electrical resistance vanishes and magnetic flux fields are expelled from the material. Any material exhibiting these properties is a superconductor. Unlike ...
, Kumar was an elected fellow of all the three major Indian science academies –
Indian Academy of Sciences
The Indian Academy of Sciences, Bangalore was founded by Indian Physicist and Nobel Laureate C. V. Raman, and was registered as a society on 24 April 1934. Inaugurated on 31 July 1934, it began with 65 founding fellows. The first general meet ...
,
Indian National Science Academy
The Indian National Science Academy (INSA) is a national academy in New Delhi for Indian scientists in all branches of science and technology.
In August 2019, Dr. Chandrima Shaha was appointed as the president of Indian National Science Academ ...
, and
National Academy of Sciences, India
The National Academy of Sciences, India, established in 1930, is the oldest science academy in India. It is located in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh. Prof. Meghnad Saha was the founder president.
Fellows
*Suddhasatwa Basu
* Sudha Bhattacharya
* Ch ...
– as well as the
American Physical Society
The American Physical Society (APS) is a not-for-profit membership organization of professionals in physics and related disciplines, comprising nearly fifty divisions, sections, and other units. Its mission is the advancement and diffusion of k ...
and
The World Academy of Sciences
The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS) is a merit-based science academy established for developing countries, uniting 1,000 scientists in some 70 countries. Its principal aim is to promote scientific capacity and excellence for sustainable devel ...
. The
Council of Scientific and Industrial Research
The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (IAST: ''vaigyanik tathā audyogik anusandhāna pariṣada''), abbreviated as CSIR, was established by the Government of India in September 1942 as an autonomous body that has emerged as the l ...
, the apex agency of the Government of India for scientific research, awarded him the
Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize for Science and Technology
The Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize for Science and Technology (SSB) is a science award in India given annually by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) for notable and outstanding research, Applied science, applied or Fundamenta ...
, one of the highest Indian science awards, for his contributions to physical sciences in 1985.
In 2006, he received the
Padma Shri
Padma Shri (IAST: ''padma śrī''), also spelled Padma Shree, is the fourth-highest Indian honours system, civilian award of the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan. Instituted on 2 January 1954, ...
, the fourth highest civilian honour of the Government of India, in the science and engineering category.
Biography
![RRI front view](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2b/RRI_front_view.jpg)
Born on the 1 February 1940 to Labha Mal Julka-Taravatti couple in
Bilaspur in the Indian state of
Chhattisgarh
Chhattisgarh (, ) is a landlocked state in Central India. It is the ninth largest state by area, and with a population of roughly 30 million, the seventeenth most populous. It borders seven states – Uttar Pradesh to the north, Madhya Prade ...
,
Narendra Kumar obtained an honors degree in electronics and electrical communication engineering in 1962 from the
Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur
Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur (IIT Kharagpur) is a public institute of technology established by the Government of India in Kharagpur, West Bengal, India. Established in 1951, the institute is the first of the IITs to be established ...
, passing the examination with second rank.
He continued at IIT Kharagpur for his master's studies and before completing MTech with a first rank in 1963, he stood first in India in the All India Electronics Engineering Examination in 1962. After obtaining the master's degree, Kumar started his career in 1963 as a senior scientific officer at
Defence Institute of Advanced Technology
Defence Institute of Advanced Technology (DIAT) is the premier engineering training institute under the Department of Defence Research & Development, Ministry of Defence, Government of India. DIAT (DU) is specialized in the training of officers ...
(then known as Institute of Armament Studies) and served there till his move to
National Chemical Laboratory
The National Chemical Laboratory (NCL) is an Indian government laboratory based in Pune, in western India.
Popularly known as NCL, a constituent member of the CSIR India, Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) India, it was estab ...
in 1965 as a B grade scientist.
Kumar resumed his studies in 1968 by enrolling for doctoral studies at the
Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay
The Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT Bombay or IITB) is a public research university and technical institute in Powai, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. It is considered as one of the best engineering universities in India and is top ranked ...
and secured a PhD under the guidance of
Krityunjai Prasad Sinha
Krityunjai Prasad Sinha (born 5 July 1929) is an Indian theoretical physicist and an emeritus professor of Indian Institute of Science. Known for his research in solid state physics and cosmology, Sinha is an elected fellow of all the three maj ...
and
Ram Prakash Singh in 1971.
After doing his post-doctoral work at the laboratory of
Maurice Pryce
Maurice Henry Lecorney Pryce (24 January 1913 – 24 July 2003) was a British physicist.
Pryce was born in Croydon to an Anglo-Welsh father and French mother, and in his teens attended the Royal Grammar School, Guildford. After a few months in ...
of
University of British Columbia
The University of British Columbia (UBC) is a public university, public research university with campuses near Vancouver and in Kelowna, British Columbia. Established in 1908, it is British Columbia's oldest university. The university ranks a ...
, he joined
Indian Institute of Science
The Indian Institute of Science (IISc) is a public, deemed, research university for higher education and research in science, engineering, design, and management. It is located in Bengaluru, in the Indian state of Karnataka. The institute wa ...
as an assistant professor and served the institution for close to quarter of a century during which period, he held the position of a professor from 1975 to 1994. Kumar was appointed as the director of
Raman Research Institute
The Raman Research Institute (RRI) is an institute for scientific research located in Bangalore, India. It was founded by Nobel laureate C. V. Raman in 1948. Although it began as an institute privately owned by Sir C. V. Raman, it is now fund ...
(RRI) in 1994 where he served until his superannuation in 2005. Post-retirement, he continued his association with RRI as the Homi Bhabha Distinguished Scientist and
DAE
DAE or Dae may refer to:
As an acronym
* DAE (chemotherapy), a chemotherapy regimen consisting of Daunorubicin, Ara-C (cytarabine) and Etoposide
* Daporijo Airport, the IATA code for an airport in India
* Daxing Airport Express, the airport trans ...
chair professor.
During his career, he has had visiting assignments at various institutions abroad such as
University of Liège
The University of Liège (french: Université de Liège), or ULiège, is a major public university of the French Community of Belgium based in Liège, Wallonia, Belgium. Its official language is French. As of 2020, ULiège is ranked in the 301 ...
(1975–76),
University of Warwick
The University of Warwick ( ; abbreviated as ''Warw.'' in post-nominal letters) is a public research university on the outskirts of Coventry between the West Midlands (county), West Midlands and Warwickshire, England. The university was founded i ...
(1978–79),
Drexel University
Drexel University is a private research university with its main campus in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Drexel's undergraduate school was founded in 1891 by Anthony J. Drexel, a financier and philanthropist. Founded as Drexel Institute of Art, S ...
(1984),
National Autonomous University of Mexico
The National Autonomous University of Mexico ( es, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, UNAM) is a public research university in Mexico. It is consistently ranked as one of the best universities in Latin America, where it's also the bigges ...
(1985),
McGill University
McGill University (french: link=no, Université McGill) is an English-language public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1821 by royal charter granted by King George IV,Frost, Stanley Brice. ''McGill Universit ...
(1987 and 1988) and
International Centre for Theoretical Physics
The Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP) is an international research institute for physical and mathematical sciences that operates under a tripartite agreement between the Italian Government, United Nations Education ...
(1988–89). Kumar was also associated with
Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research
The Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR) is a multidisciplinary research institute located at Jakkur, Bangalore, India. It was established by the Department of Science and Technology of the Government of India, to ...
, a multidisciplinary research institute, where he held an honorary professor position
and with
Tata Institute of Fundamental Research
Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) is a public deemed research university located in Mumbai, India that is dedicated to basic research in mathematics and the sciences. It is a Deemed University and works under the umbrella of the D ...
as an adjunct professor since 2008.
Kumar lived in R. M. V. Extension in
Bengaluru
Bangalore (), officially Bengaluru (), is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Karnataka. It has a population of more than and a metropolitan population of around , making it the third most populous city and fifth most ...
in
Karnataka
Karnataka (; ISO: , , also known as Karunāḍu) is a state in the southwestern region of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act. Originally known as Mysore State , it was renamed ''Karnat ...
.
He died on 28 August 2017.
Legacy
His doctoral studies at IIT Bombay gave Kumar the opportunity to work alongside noted physicists such as
Krityunjai Prasad Sinha
Krityunjai Prasad Sinha (born 5 July 1929) is an Indian theoretical physicist and an emeritus professor of Indian Institute of Science. Known for his research in solid state physics and cosmology, Sinha is an elected fellow of all the three maj ...
and
Ram Prakash Singh and during his days at the University of British Columbia, he studied condensed matter physics with
Maurice Pryce
Maurice Henry Lecorney Pryce (24 January 1913 – 24 July 2003) was a British physicist.
Pryce was born in Croydon to an Anglo-Welsh father and French mother, and in his teens attended the Royal Grammar School, Guildford. After a few months in ...
.
He carried on his work on superconductivity
and disordered systems
at Indian Institute of Science and his collaboration with Pedro Pereyra and others yielded the ''Dorokhov-Mello-Pereyra-Kumar'' (DMPK) equation, a theory on multi-channel conductivity using the
principle of maximum entropy
The principle of maximum entropy states that the probability distribution which best represents the current state of knowledge about a system is the one with largest entropy, in the context of precisely stated prior data (such as a proposition ...
,
which has since been subjected to studies by several scientists.
Besides his work on diffusion in glasses, Kumar has done extensive studies on
random dynamical systems, especially on the nature of
electron transport
An electron transport chain (ETC) is a series of protein complexes and other molecules that transfer electrons from electron donors to electron acceptors via redox reactions (both reduction and oxidation occurring simultaneously) and couples thi ...
.
His studies have been documented by way of a number of articles and the article repository of Indian Academy of Sciences has listed 167 of them.
Kumar has published four books, ''Interaction-Magnetically-Ordered-Solids'', coauthored with his mentor,
Krityunjai Prasad Sinha
Krityunjai Prasad Sinha (born 5 July 1929) is an Indian theoretical physicist and an emeritus professor of Indian Institute of Science. Known for his research in solid state physics and cosmology, Sinha is an elected fellow of all the three maj ...
,
''Invitation to Contemporary Physics'',
''Deterministic Chaos: Complex Chance out of Simple Necessity''
and ''Quantum Transport in Mesoscopic Systems: Complexity and Statistical Fluctuations'' which is a monograph in the field of
mesoscopic physics
Mesoscopic physics is a subdiscipline of condensed matter physics that deals with materials of an intermediate size. These materials range in size between the nanoscale for a quantity of atoms (such as a molecule) and of materials measuring micr ...
.
He had also guided 12 doctoral students in their doctoral studies.
Kumar had been connected with the
International Centre for Theoretical Physics
The Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP) is an international research institute for physical and mathematical sciences that operates under a tripartite agreement between the Italian Government, United Nations Education ...
(ICTP) since 1970, serving as an associate or senior associate until 1992 and as a staff associate from 1993 to 2010.
He was a former member of the editorial board of
Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter and various committees of
The World Academy of Sciences
The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS) is a merit-based science academy established for developing countries, uniting 1,000 scientists in some 70 countries. Its principal aim is to promote scientific capacity and excellence for sustainable devel ...
.
Kumar had been involved with the committees for the review of research institutions which included
Tata Institute of Fundamental Research
Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) is a public deemed research university located in Mumbai, India that is dedicated to basic research in mathematics and the sciences. It is a Deemed University and works under the umbrella of the D ...
and
Physical Research Laboratory
The Physical Research Laboratory (PRL) is a National Research Institute for space and allied sciences, supported mainly by Department of Space, Government of India. This research laboratory has ongoing research programmes in astronomy and astrop ...
and has been the chairman of the committee of the
Council of Scientific and Industrial Research
The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (IAST: ''vaigyanik tathā audyogik anusandhāna pariṣada''), abbreviated as CSIR, was established by the Government of India in September 1942 as an autonomous body that has emerged as the l ...
for selecting
Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize
The Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize for Science and Technology (SSB) is a science award in India given annually by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) for notable and outstanding research, Applied science, applied or Fundamenta ...
winners.
He also served as the president of the
Indian Academy of Sciences
The Indian Academy of Sciences, Bangalore was founded by Indian Physicist and Nobel Laureate C. V. Raman, and was registered as a society on 24 April 1934. Inaugurated on 31 July 1934, it began with 65 founding fellows. The first general meet ...
during 1998–2000.
Awards and honors
The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research awarded Kumar the
Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize
The Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize for Science and Technology (SSB) is a science award in India given annually by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) for notable and outstanding research, Applied science, applied or Fundamenta ...
, one of the highest Indian science awards, in 1985.
He received the
TWAS Prize
This is a list of recipients of the TWAS Prize, awarded annually by The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS).
Summary
Agricultural Sciences
Biology
Chemistry
Earth Sciences
Engineering Sciences
Mathematics
Medical Sc ...
in 1992
and the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay, chose him for its Distinguished Alumnus Award in 1996.
A year after receiving the Mahendra Lal Sircar Prize in 1997, Kumar was selected for the Goyal Award of
Kurukshetra University
Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra (KUK) is a university established on 11January 1956 in Kurukshetra, in the Indian state of Haryana, from the capital, Delhi. It is a member of Association of Commonwealth Universities.
History
The univer ...
in 1998,
followed by the FICCI Award of the
Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry
The Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) is a non-governmental trade association and advocacy group based in India.
History
Established in 1927, on the advice of Mahatma Gandhi by Indian businessman G.D. Birla and ...
in 1999.
The
Indian Science Congress Association
Indian Science Congress Association(ISCA) is a premier scientific organisation of India with headquarters at Kolkata, West Bengal. The association started in the year 1914 in Kolkata and it meets annually in the first week of January. It has a ...
awarded him the C. V. Raman Birth Centenary Award in 2000, the same year as Kumar received the Meghnad Saha Medal of the
Indian National Science Academy
The Indian National Science Academy (INSA) is a national academy in New Delhi for Indian scientists in all branches of science and technology.
In August 2019, Dr. Chandrima Shaha was appointed as the president of Indian National Science Academ ...
.
The year 2006 brought him three major awards: the
Padma Shri
Padma Shri (IAST: ''padma śrī''), also spelled Padma Shree, is the fourth-highest Indian honours system, civilian award of the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan. Instituted on 2 January 1954, ...
, the fourth highest Indian civilian honor,
the R. D. Birla Award of the Indian Physics Association, and the Distinguished Materials Scientist Award of the Materials Research Society of India.
The
Indian Academy of Sciences
The Indian Academy of Sciences, Bangalore was founded by Indian Physicist and Nobel Laureate C. V. Raman, and was registered as a society on 24 April 1934. Inaugurated on 31 July 1934, it began with 65 founding fellows. The first general meet ...
elected Kumar as their fellow in 1985
and Kumar was elected as a fellow by the Indian National Science Academy in 1987.
He received elected fellowships of two science organizations in 1994, the
National Academy of Sciences, India
The National Academy of Sciences, India, established in 1930, is the oldest science academy in India. It is located in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh. Prof. Meghnad Saha was the founder president.
Fellows
*Suddhasatwa Basu
* Sudha Bhattacharya
* Ch ...
,
and the
American Physical Society
The American Physical Society (APS) is a not-for-profit membership organization of professionals in physics and related disciplines, comprising nearly fifty divisions, sections, and other units. Its mission is the advancement and diffusion of k ...
.
Kumar became a fellow of
The World Academy of Sciences
The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS) is a merit-based science academy established for developing countries, uniting 1,000 scientists in some 70 countries. Its principal aim is to promote scientific capacity and excellence for sustainable devel ...
the next year.
The award orations delivered by him include the Jawarharlal Nehru Birth Centenary lecture (1996)
and the Jagadis Chandra Bose lecture (2008) of the Indian National Science Academy.
Selected bibliography
Books
*
*
*
*
Articles
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
See also
*
Langevin dynamics
In physics, Langevin dynamics is an approach to the mathematical modeling of the dynamics of molecular systems. It was originally developed by French physicist Paul Langevin. The approach is characterized by the use of simplified models while acco ...
*
Order and disorder
In physics, the terms order and disorder designate the presence or absence of some symmetry or correlation in a many-particle system.
In condensed matter physics, systems typically are ordered at low temperatures; upon heating, they undergo one o ...
*
Stochastic process
In probability theory and related fields, a stochastic () or random process is a mathematical object usually defined as a family of random variables. Stochastic processes are widely used as mathematical models of systems and phenomena that appea ...
*
Bose–Einstein condensate
In condensed matter physics, a Bose–Einstein condensate (BEC) is a state of matter that is typically formed when a gas of bosons at very low densities is cooled to temperatures very close to absolute zero (−273.15 °C or −459.67&n ...
Notes
References
Further reading
*
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kumar, Narendra
1940 births
2017 deaths
People from Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh
Indian condensed matter physicists
Scientists from Chhattisgarh
Indian technology writers
IIT Kharagpur alumni
IIT Bombay alumni
Academic staff of Tata Institute of Fundamental Research
Academic staff of the Indian Institute of Science
University of British Columbia alumni
Academic staff of the National Autonomous University of Mexico
Academic staff of the University of Liège
Academics of the University of Warwick
Drexel University faculty
Academic staff of McGill University
Recipients of the Padma Shri in science & engineering
Recipients of the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Award in Physical Science
TWAS laureates
Fellows of the American Physical Society
Fellows of the Indian National Science Academy
Fellows of The National Academy of Sciences, India
TWAS fellows
Fellows of the Indian Academy of Sciences
20th-century Indian physicists