A Sad Day For India
On May 20, 2025, India lost its two great scientists: Dr. M.R. Srinivasan and Dr. Jayant Narlikar. One helped India build nuclear power. The other studied the universe. It is a sad event, but it is also a time to remember their great work for Indian science.
Dr. M.R. Srinivasan
Dr. Srinivasan was born in Karnataka in 1930. He studied engineering in Bengaluru and then in Canada, where he learned about new technology.
At the age of 25, he joined India's Department of Atomic Energy. He worked with Dr. Homi Bhabha to build ‘Apsara’, India's first nuclear research reactor.
Later, he helped build 18 nuclear power plants in India. When other countries did not share their technology, Dr. Srinivasan worked with Indian scientists to complete everything on their own. He helped India become strong in nuclear power.
He got two important awards for his work, the Padma Bhushan in 1984 and the Padma Vibhushan in 2015. He passed away at the age of 95. His work will always be remembered.
Dr. J. Narlikar
Dr. Narlikar was born in Maharashtra in 1938. He went to Banaras Hindu University for early education and then to Cambridge University in England. He received two prizes there, the Smith's Prize in 1962 and the Adams Prize in 1967, for his great work in maths and space science.
He worked with Sir Fred Hoyle on the Hoyle–Narlikar theory. This idea opposed the Big Bang Theory by stating that the universe had no beginning and had always been there. This theory made him famous all over the world.
He returned to India and founded the IUCAA Space Research Centre in Pune. He also wrote books and gave lectures to teach science to children and young people.
He received the Padma Bhushan in 1965 and the Padma Vibhushan in 2004. He passed away at the age of 86, leaving behind a great legacy for the Indian science community.
Contributions To Be Remembered
Dr. Srinivasan and Dr. Narlikar made India proud. One focused on nuclear power, the other on space science. They showed that Indian scientists can do amazing things. Their lives will inspire many young people to study science and do great work in the future.
