BS People: Jayant Narlikar

The people's man

It may just be a coincidence that the Maharashtra government under Prithviraj Chavan has selected renowned astrophysicist Jayant Narlikar for the prestigious Maharashtra Bhushan Award 2010.

Chavan, who had worked as the Union minister of state for science & technology before returning to the state as the chief minister, enjoys a good rapport with Narlikar. The 72-year-old recipient of the Padma Bhushan and Padma Vibhushan has now joined the list of distinguished personalities decorated with the state’s highest award. Legendary humorist P L Deshpande, singer Lata Mangeshkar, cricketers Sunil Gavaskar and Sachin Tendulkar, vocalist Bhimsen Joshi, social workers Abhay and Rani Bang and industrialist Ratan Tata are among prominent recipients in the past.

 

Among the scientist and teaching community in particular, Narlikar, who was born in Kolhapur, is known as a ‘people’s man’. There is a reason to this. Narlikar has worked untiringly to spread scientific temperament among the masses. He took every possible step, including writing science fiction in Marathi, Hindi and English, to popularise science. His science fictions focused on the Indian environment and highlighted the interaction between society and science.

His Marathi book Akashashi Jadale Nate on astronomy for the aam admi was a huge success. Besides, Narlikar’s books in English include The Lighter Side of Gravity and Seven Wonders of the Cosmos.

He wrote a number of articles in leading periodicals, delivered lectures and conducted a special programme devoted to science on TV in the 1980s. He also launched a novel programme by inviting students to write letters to him on science and related issues. He has been working in the field of astronomy for over 40 years.

Narlikar believes lack of scientific outlook is a major roadblock in progress of the country and all efforts should be made to overcome it. He is internationally acclaimed for his work in cosmology, in championing models alternative to the popularly-believed big-bang model. He was the president of the Cosmology Commission of the International Astronomical Union from 1994 to 1997. During this period, he laid the foundations of his research work in cosmology and astrophysics, in collaboration with his mentor, Fred Hoyle.