Emotional tributes were paid to senior scientist Dr. Jayant Narlikar at the IUCCA in Pune, where he was honored with state respects. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Deputy CM Ajit Pawar, and the Narlikar family were present to pay their condolences.
Narlikar, one of the most distinguished astrophysicists, passed away in Pune earlier on Tuesday at the age of 86.
His associates at IUCAA recall that the institute's courtyard features statues of Galileo, Einstein, Newton, and Aryabhatta.
Dr Jayant Vishnu Narlikar, one of the most distinguished astrophysicists who was globally acclaimed for co-developing the Hoyle-Narlikar theory of gravity- an alternative to Einstein's general relativity- and popularising science among common people
A towering figure in Indian science, Dr Narlikar was widely known for his pioneering contributions to cosmology, his efforts to popularise science, and for setting up premier research institutions in the country.
He was also known for championing the steady-state theory of the universe, a bold counterpoint to the widely accepted Big Bang model.
Born on July 19, 1938, Dr Narlikar completed his early education on the campus of Banaras Hindu University (BHU), where his father, Vishnu Vasudeva Narlikar, was a professor and Head of the Mathematics Department.
He migrated to Cambridge for higher studies, becoming a Wrangler and Tyson Medallist in the Mathematical Tripos.
While in the United Kingdom, he and his doctoral adviser Fred Hoyle developed the famous Hoyle-Narlikar theory of gravity.
He returned to India to join the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (1972-1989), where, under his charge, the Theoretical Astrophysics Group expanded and acquired international standing.
In 1988, the UGC invited Dr Narlikar to set up the Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics as its Founder Director.
He held the directorship of IUCAA until his retirement in 2003. Under his direction, IUCAA has acquired a worldwide reputation as a centre of excellence in teaching and research in astronomy and astrophysics. He was an Emeritus Professor at IUCAA.
Besides his scientific research, Dr Narlikar was well-known as a science communicator through his books, articles, and radio/TV programmes.
Dr Narlikar was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 1965 at the young age of 26.
In 2004, he was awarded the Padma Vibhushan, and the Maharashtra government honoured him with the state's highest civilian award, Maharashtra Bhushan, in 2011.
In 2014, the Sahitya Akademi, the premier literary body in India, selected his autobiography for its highest prize in regional language (Marathi) writing.
