Ashesh Prosad Mitra FNA, FASc, FRS (21 February 1927 – 3 September 2007) was a

physicist A physicist is a scientist who specializes in the field of physics, which encompasses the interactions of matter and energy at all length and time scales in the physical universe. Physicists generally are interested in the root or ultimate cau ...

who headed the National Physics Laboratory in

Delhi Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, primarily its western or right bank, Delhi shares borders ...

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

and was the Director General 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 ...

(CSIR). He is primarily known for his work on environmental physics.

Life

Mitra studied at the Bangabasi College, an affiliated college of the

University of Calcutta The University of Calcutta (informally known as Calcutta University; CU) is a public collegiate state university in India, located in Kolkata, West Bengal, India. Considered one of best state research university all over India every year, ...

. He completed his post graduation studies from the renowned

Rajabazar Science College The University College of Science, Technology and Agriculture (commonly or formerly known as Rashbehari Siksha Prangan & Taraknath Palit Siksha Prangan or Rajabazar Science College & Ballygunge Science College) are two of five main campuses of ...

campus of same university. He was the director of the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) from 1982 to 1986 and the Director General of the

(CSIR) from 1986 to 1991. He died at New Delhi in September 2007.

Research

Radio & Space Physics was his area of specialization. He performed major work in the field of earth's near-space environment, through group based and space techniques. He worked on cosmic radio noise for studying the upper atmosphere led to a series of discoveries in ionosphere, solar physics and cosmic rays.

Honours and awards

*He was awarded 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 or fundamental, in biology, ...

for Physical Science in 1968. The citation read: *Foreign Fellow of

Bangladesh Academy of Sciences Bangladesh Academy of Sciences is an academic forum for Bangladeshi scientists and technologists. Established in 1973, it aims to fulfill the role of promoting research and development of sciences in Bangladesh. History After the partition of ...

*Awarded the

Padma Bhushan The Padma Bhushan is the third-highest civilian award in the Republic of India, preceded by the Bharat Ratna and the Padma Vibhushan and followed by the Padma Shri. Instituted on 2 January 1954, the award is given for "distinguished service ...

in 1987 *Fellow of the

Royal Society of London The Royal Society, formally The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, is a learned society and the United Kingdom's national academy of sciences. The society fulfils a number of roles: promoting science and its benefits, re ...

in 1988. *President of the International Union of Radio Sciences - URSI between 1984-1987 *Member, General Committee of International Council of Scientific Unions between 1984-1988 *Fellow - Indian National Science Academy in 1961 *Fellow of the Indian Academy Sciences in 1974 *Fellow of the Thud World Academy of Sciences in 198 *President, National Academy of Sciences between 1992-1993 *Honorary President, URSI in 2002 *Jawahar La1 Nehru Fellowship between 1978-1980 *Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Fellowship between 1991-1996 *Senior Homi Bhabha Fellowshp between 1996-1998 *Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Memorial Award for Physical Sciences in 1968 *C. V. Raman Award of University Grants Commission in 1982 *Om Prakash Bhasin Award for Physical Physical Sciences in 1987 *FICCI Award for Physical Sciences in 1982 *Meghnad Saha Golden Jubilee Award of Indian Association of Science in 1991 *Modi Science Award in 1992 *Vasuic Award on Environmental Science and Technology in 2002 *Meghnad Saha Medal by Asiatic Society in 1994 *S. K. Mitra Centenary Medal by Indian Science Congress Association in 1995 *DSc (Honors Causa) degrees from the universities of

Manipur Manipur () ( mni, Kangleipak) is a state in Northeast India, with the city of Imphal as its capital. It is bounded by the Indian states of Nagaland to the north, Mizoram to the south and Assam to the west. It also borders two regions of ...

Kolkata Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , the official name until 2001) is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal, on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River west of the border with Bangladesh. It is the primary business, comme ...

Jadavpur Jadavpur is a southern neighbourhood of Kolkata in the district of Kolkata of West Bengal, India. Jadavpur is one of the important junctions in South Kolkata. Jadavpur University and a number of research institutes of national and internation ...

, Burdwan North Bangal, Vidhyasagar.

Personal life

Ashesh Prosad Mitra had two daughters with his wife, Sunanda, whom he married on 12 August 1956.

References

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Mitre, Ashesh Prosade 1927 births 2007 deaths Scientists from Kolkata Bangabasi College alumni University of Calcutta alumni 20th-century Indian physicists 20th-century Indian educators Fellows of the Royal Society Council of Scientific and Industrial Research Recipients of the Padma Bhushan in science & engineering Fellows of Bangladesh Academy of Sciences