PU remembers Prof Yash Pal

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, July 25

Faculty members and students of the Physics Department, Panjab University (PU), Chandigarh, assembled to pay respects to Prof Yash Pal for his association with the department as an Honorary Professor from 1997-1999.

He visited the university on several other occasions but his last visit to the PU was to deliver the first BM Memorial Lecture in April 2015 and the dedication ceremony of Prof BM Anand Auditorium. He also visited the PU for the release of a postal stamp of Ruchi Ram Sahni in 2013.

Vice-Chancellor (VC) Arun Kumar Grover said Prof Yash Pal was an eminent Indian scientist and educationist. “In his demise, the PU has lost one of its most illustrious alumnus. His contribution to academia will always be remembered,” he said. The VC further added that the PU had a special

association with him as he was instrumental in starting the cosmic ray observation laboratory.

A student selected by Homi Bhabha for research, he assumed the responsibility of realising the unfinished agenda initiated by Vikram Sarabhai. Grover informed that he joined the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) when Professor Yash Pal was set to leave for Ahmedabad as the founder Director of Space Applications Centre. The VC further added that he remained in contact with him since then and had the privilege of retaining his affection as a co-alumnus of the PU and the TIFR.

He had preceded Manmohan Singh as the Chairman of the UGC. Grover also expressed his deep condolences on the demise of Prof UR Rao, a renowned space scientist and the former ISRO chairman. He was the brain behind India’s first satellite, Aryabhata, and various other space programmes.