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Renowned scientist Professor Yash Pal passes away

By
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Veteran scientist, administrator and popular science communicator, Professor Yash Pal passed away on July 24, 2017 in Noida, Uttar Pradesh. He was 90.

Overview of Professor Yash Pal’s academic qualification:

Professor Pal was born in 1926 in Jhang district of British India that is now in

  • He completed his graduation in Physics in 1949 from Punjab University and went on Renowned scientist Professor Yash Pal passes awayto complete his Phd in 1958 from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, US with specialisation in high-energy physics, astrophysics, communication, science policy and space technology.
  • He gained recognition because of his contribution in the study of cosmic rays.

Key Positions held by Professor Yash Pal:

Yash Pal had held the position of professor at Tata Institute of Fundamental Research in Mumbai.He also served as the Director at Space Applications Centre in Ahmedabad for almost nine years, between 1973 and 1981.

  • Professor Yash Pal was later appointed as the Chief Consultant of the Planning Commission in 1983-84.
  • He acted as the Secretary of Department of Science and Technology, a position that he held for two years, from 1984 to 1986.
  • He was appointed as the Chairman of University Grants Commission (UGC) where he served a full single-term of five years.
  • In the international arena, he served as a member of UN Advisory Committee on Science and Technology for Development.
  • Pal served as the Chancellor of Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi from 2007 to 2012.
  • In 2009, he chaired a committee to suggest reforms to higher education in India.

Professor Yash Pal – Honors/Awards:

Pal was awarded the Marconi International Fellowship Award in 1980.Indian Science Congress Association (ISCA) bestowed on him the prestigious GP Chatterjee Memorial Award in 1987.

  • He was also honoured with the Association of Space Explorers Award in 1989.
  • Pal was the recipient Indira Gandhi Prize for Popularization of Science in 2000.
  • In 2006, he was awarded the Meghnad Saha Medal.
  • Pal was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 1976 and the Padma Vibhushan in 2013.
  • He is remembered for hosting ‘Turning Point’, a popular science show on Doordarshan.