What we see in the Universe remains the same irrespective of what, when and where we see! This is the precise idea of the quasi-steady state Universe put forth by pioneering astronomers of 20th century. India has one such revolutionary member of the group who even today believes in the same and is able to answer the changing density of matter in expanding universe. He is none other than the Prof Jayant Vishnu Narlikar.
In India, he is also known for his outstanding work on the frontiers of gravity and Mach’s Principle, quantum cosmology, quasar, blackhole and action at a distance physics. Apart from his hardcore research of steady state cosmology, he is largely known for his science fiction and non-fiction writings as well as his efforts as an extraordinary science communicator. He is the recipient of prestigious Kalinga Award (1996) for his outstanding contribution in popularisation of science. The limited scope of this article permits me to mention only some of the notable recognitions which includes second highest civilian award Padma Vibhushan in 2004 by the Government of India and the highest state civilian award Maharashtra Bhushan in 2011 by the Government of Maharashtra. He was the founder Director of Inter University Center for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA), a premier institute for state-of-art research in observational and theoretical astrophysics in India. He is a multi-faceted personality. I consider it as a great honour to write about him for Science India readers.
It is important to note that Prof Vishnu Vasudev Narlikar, father of Prof Jayant Narlikar, was a well-known mathematician of his time. He was invited by the founder of Banaras Hindu University (BHU), Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya, to look after the Mathematics Department of the University. Prof Jayant Narlikar was the eldest son of Prof Vishnu Vasudev Narlikar and Sumati Narlikar. Born on July 19, 1938 at Kolhapur, Maharashtra, he inherited the legacy of a scholarly family; his mother was also a Sanskrit scholar. He did his early education in the campus of BHU. He was recognised as an intelligent student in his school and college.
After completing a Bachelor’s degree in science from BHU in 1957, he went to Cambridge for higher education, where he won the most prestigious Tyson Medal, the pinnacle award in the list of Mathematical Tripos. It is important to note that the same award was also won by Prof Vishnu Narlikar exactly 30 years before him.
Prof Jayant Narlikar earned his Bachelor’s degree in Art in a very short time in 1960 and completed his doctorate by 1963 from Cambridge. He remained a top performer during the time he was in Cambridge — he received the Smith’s Prize in 1962, the Adams Prize in 1967 and many more. He was a fellow of the King’s College from 1963 to 1972, and also the founder staff member of the Institute of Theoretical Astronomy. Because of his outstanding work in mathematics and theoretical physics, Prof Narlikar received the prestigious civilian award Padma Bhushan in 1965 from the Government of India at his early age of 27 years.
The British astronomer and a giant astrophysicist of his time, Prof Fred Hoyle was the supervisor of Prof Narlikar for his PhD. Prof Hoyle was known for his work on stellar nucleosynthesis. It was at the same time that Edwin Hubble, an American astronomer came up with the discovery of expansion of Universe, giving rise to the idea for the origin of Universe. To counter the idea, Prof Hoyle along with Prof Herman Bondi and Prof Thomas Gold proposed the steady state universe theory justifying the expansion of universe. Coincidently, in one of the BBC radio interviews while countering the question with anger, Prof Hoyle coined the word Big Bang which later became the buzz word for the catastrophic event of the origin of Universe. Quasi Steady State (QSS) Universe proposed in 1993 by Prof Jayant Narlikar along with the Geoffrey Burbidge and Prof Hoyle was the modified version of above theory. They proposed mini bangs or little bangs to explain the changing density of matter in expanding and accelerating universe.
In 1966, Prof Narlikar married Dr Mangala Rajwade, a scholar of mathematics who authored many books, mentored many teachers, and was a columnist in newspapers. Even today, she writes in many magazines and newspapers in her unique style about mathematics. The couple has three daughters, Geeta, Girija and Leelavati and all of them have opted for research careers in science.
Prof Narlikar with renowned scientist and science communicator Prof Yash Pal
Prof Narlikar returned to India in 1972 and joined the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) in Mumbai. He led and expanded the Theoretical Astrophysics Group and acquired international standing. He was with the TIFR till 1989. During this period, in addition to his hardcore research, he also started the work of communication and popularisation of Astronomy and Astrophysics in Maharashtra. Marathi, being his mother tongue, Prof Narlikar has a great command over the language. He is one of the pioneering science fiction writers in Marathi. He has written many popular science articles through regular columns in Marathi newspapers and magazines in addition to English and Hindi. He has travelled across the state of Maharashtra and delivered talks on astronomy in various educational institutes. Because of his simple, interesting, and mesmerising lectures on astronomy, he has a large fan following which ranges from school children to young researchers. He has written many books for the professionals and researchers in astronomy and astrophysics. His science fiction, short stories and novels in Marathi have been translated in Hindi, English and many other languages. Some of his titles include Yakshanchi Denagi (1979), Preshit (1983), Antaralatla Bhasmasur (1985), Vaman Parat na aala (1986), etc.
It would be interesting to know the story of formation of the IUCAA, the Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics. Because of Prof Narlikar’s work and recognition in the field of Astronomy and Astrophysics, the University Grants Commission invited him to set up the proposed IUCAA as its founder director in 1988. His idea was to have IUCAA in the campus of a university. It was not surprising he selected Savitri Bai Phule Pune University Campus in Pune as the location for IUCAA. It started with a small building named Aditi, which was later shifted to a state-of-the art building designed by world famous architect Charles Correa. The building itself is one of the tourist attractions because of its beauty and use of Mathematical, Physical and Astronomical concepts like geometry, Foucault Pendulum, Roche Lobe, etc. in its design Statues of famous thinkers — Albert Einstein, Galileo, and Aryabhata, a 5th-century Indian mathematician and astronomer — decorate an inner courtyard of the campus. A statue of Newton is there too, beneath a banyan tree. ‘Newton’s Apple Tree’ planted near the statue of Newton in the campus of IUCAA created ripples of curiosity and inspiration in the scientific circles and general public. It was Prof Narlikar who brought a sapling — a descendant of the apple tree at Woolsthorpe Manor in Lincolnshire, England, the ancestral home of Sir Isaac Newton who discovered the law of gravitation. It has been a challenge to keep it alive in the Pune weather. The IUCAA is currently experimenting with grafting a Newton tree shoot onto Indian apple trees.
A young Jayant Vishnu Narlikar in Venice (left), and with his parents (right).
Prof Narlikar was the director of this institute till his retirement in 2003 and continued thereafter as Professor Emeritus. During his tenure, IUCAA acquired a world-wide reputation as a centre for excellence in teaching and research in astronomy and astrophysics. In 2012, the Third World Academy of Sciences awarded him the prize for setting up a centre for excellence in science.
Prof Narlikar was a president of the Cosmology Commission of the International Astronomical Union from 1994 to 1997. He has received several national and international awards and honorary doctorates. He is a Bhatnagar awardee, as well as recipient of the M.P. Birla Award and the prestigious Prix Janssen award of the French Astronomical Society. He is an Associate of the Royal Astronomical Society of London and a fellow of the three Indian national science academies as well as of the Third World Academy of Sciences. Even at the age of 83, he has accepted to be the president of the 94th Akhil Bharatiya Marathi Sahitya Sammelan, to be organised this year.
It is worth mentioning his personality attributes here, one of which I experienced during my stay at IUCAA, Pune. It was a National Science Day when Prof Narlikar delivered a popular science talk. As he ended his lecture, a huge crowd of students gathered around him to have his autograph. Prof Narlikar went back to the stage and announced, “Whosoever wants the autograph, will have to write a question on science and send it to me and I will reply it with my signature!”. In another incident, a group of organisers from Pune approached him to be the chief guest of an inaugural function. Listening to that, he categorically mentioned, “I don’t attend any function as a chief guest, however, if you can ask me to deliver a lecture, then I may think”. Even today, he strictly follows this principle.
A snapshot from childhood
Prof Narlikar expanded his horizon of his expertise beyond the field of astronomy and astrophysics. He was part of the new space research in association with ISRO in 1999, wherein he was heading a multi-institutional team of scientists to collect and diagnose the sample air collected from 41 km above the Earth from stratosphere. It was to test and verify the evidence of life on earth through microorganisms coming from outer space. The biological studies of the samples collected in 2001 and 2005 led to the findings of live cells and bacteria, thus opening an intriguing possibility that the Earth is being bombarded by microorganisms and some of which might have seeded life on Earth! This needs more exploration and studies.
I consider myself very lucky to get his guidance during my MSc and PhD period (1998 to 2004) at IUCAA, Pune. He encouraged me to contribute for development of scientific temper and popularisation of science among the people of India. I wish my guru – a living legend — a long, active, and healthy life. His words and his work will continue to inspire the future generations of India.
*The writer is Scientist ‘F’ at Vigyan Prasar, NOIDA.
