Kasturirangan

Dr. Krishnaswamy Kasturirangan

Dr. Krishnaswamy Kasturirangan
Born 24 October 1940(1940-10-24) Ernakulam, Kerala
Residence India
Nationality Indian
Fields Astronomy/Space Research including Science, Technology and Applicastions
Institutions National Institute of Advanced Studies; Indian Space Research Organisation
Alma mater Bachelor of Science with Honours, Master of Science degrees in Physics from Bombay University and Ph.D. (Astronomy & Astrophysics), 1971 from Physical Research Laboratory, Gujarat University
Known for Pioneering contributions to India’s space programme
Notable awards Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan and Padma Vibhushan

Dr. Krishnaswamy Kasturirangan (Kannada: ಕೃಷ್ಣಸ್ವಾಮಿ ಕಸ್ತೂರಿರಂಗನ್) is a space scientist based in Bangalore, Karnataka who headed the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) for more than 9 years until 2003. He was a Member in the Upper House (Rajya Sabha,2003–2009) of the Indian Parliament. He is now a Member of the Planning Commission of Government of India, He is also the Chairman of Karnataka Knowledge Commission .[1] He is also the Director of the National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bangalore, since April 2004. He is a recipient of the three civilian awards from the Government of India: the Padma Shri (1982), Padma Bhushan (1992) and Padma Vibhushan (2000).

Contents

Key contributions

Dr. Kasturirangan was responsible for directing the Indian Space programme for over 9 years, as Chairman of ISRO and the Space Commission and as Secretary to the Government of India in the Department of Space, before laying down office on 27 August 2003. He was earlier the Director of ISRO Satellite Centre, overseeing the development of new generation spacecraft, the Indian National Satellite (INSAT-2) and the Indian Remote SensingSatellites (IRS-1A and 1B) as well as scientific satellites. He was also the Project Director for India's first two experimental earth observation satellites, Bhaskara-I and II.

Under his leadership, the programme witnessed several major milestones including the successful launching and operationalisation of the India's prestigious launch vehicles, the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle and the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle. Studies on the advanced version of the GSLV, GSLVMk-III, was also completed including defining its full configuration. Further, he also oversaw the development and launching of some of the world's best civilian remote sensing satellites, IRS-1C and 1D, realization of new generation INSAT communication satellites, besides ocean observation satellites IRS-P3/P4. He also lead the initiative for India to enter the planetary exploration era by an extensive studies leading to the definition of Chandrayaan-I. These efforts have put India as a pre-eminent space-faring nation among the handful of six countries that have major space programmes. As an Astrophysicist, Dr. Kasturirangan's interest include research in high energy X-ray and gamma ray astronomy as well as optical astronomy. Defining India’s most ambitious space based High Energy Astronomy observatory and initiating a related activities was also an important milestone under his leadership. He has made extensive and significant contributions to studies of Cosmic x-ray and gamma ray sources and effect of cosmic x-rays in the lower atmosphere.

Education and research

Dr. Kasturirangan graduated in Science with Honours, and obtained his Master of Science degree in Physics, from Bombay University. He received his Doctorate Degree in Experimental High Energy Astronomy in 1971, working at the Physical Research Laboratory, Ahmedabad.

As an Astrophysicist, Dr. Kasturirangan's research interests include high energy X-ray and gamma ray astronomy as well as optical astronomy. He has published more than 244 papers, in international and national journals, in the areas of astronomy, space science and space applications.

Dr. Kasturirangan is a member of several important scientific academies and educational institutions, both within India and abroad.

Space programme career highlights

Special roles

Fellowships/Memberships: National

Fellowships/Memberships: International

National awards

International awards

Honours

Dr Kasturirangan is the recipient of Honorary Doctorate from 16 universities which is given below:

Banaras Hindu University (1994), Andhra University (1995), S.V.University, Tirupati (1996), Sri Krishna Devaraya University, Ananthpur (1998), Anna University, Chennai (1998), Roorkee University, Roorkee (1999), IIT, Bombay (2000), Chatrapati Shahu Ji Maharaj University, Kanpur (2000), Gurunanak Dev University, Amritsar (2001), University of Calcutta, Calcutta (2002), Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), New Delhi (2003), Panjab University, Chandigarh (2003), Visvesvaraya Technological University, Belgaum (2004), Alagappa University, Karaikudi (2006), Mysore University, Mysore (2007); SRM University , Chennai (2008)

National recognition

International recognition

Important roles in international bodies

General information

He has published more than 244 papers in the areas of astronomy, space science and applications.

Delivered 60 Convocation Addresses in various universities of the country and also is the recipient of Honorary Doctorate from 16 universities.

He delivered nearly 309 public and memorial lectures. His recent important lectures include M.N.Saha Memorial lecture of the National Academy of Sciences; J.C.Bose Memorial lecture at the Royal Society of London; Third Darbari Seth Memorial Lecture, New Delhi; K R Narayanan Oration at the Australian National University, Canberra; 28th Vikram Sarabhai Memorial Lecture, Ahmedabad Management Association, Ahmedabad; Prof. D.S. Kothari Memorial Lecture at University of Delhi, Delhi; Karnataka Rajyotsava Extension Lecture, Institute for Social and Economic Change, Bangalore; First Memorial Lecture of Sri Arthur C Clarke, ACCIMT, Colombo. More recently, he was one among the four global personalities and the only Asian to deliver a Keynote Address on ‘Potential of Space Technology to serve Humankind: coming 50 years’ at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris during the celebrations of the 50th Anniversary of the launch of Sputnik organized by International Astronautical Federation and UNESCO.

Bibliography

External links

Government offices
Preceded by
U. R. Rao		 ISRO Chairman
1994 - 2003		 Succeeded by
G. Madhavan Nair

References

  1. ^ "Planning Commission Organisation". Shivap. http://planningcommission.nic.in/aboutus/orgn.html. Retrieved 2009-12-03. 
  2. ^ "ESRI Lauds Dr. Krishnaswamy Kasturirangan for Making a Difference". GISuser. http://www.esri.com/company/about/facts.html. Retrieved 2009-07-31. 

H.N. Sethna (1960) • Man Mohan Suri (1962) • P. Brahm (1963) • Bal Raj Nijhawan (1964) • A.S. Rao (1965) • Jai Krishna (1966) • T.R.Anantharaman (1967) • K.R. Chakravorty (1968) • A. Bhattacharyya (1971) • Govind Swarup & Rajinder Pal Wadhwa (1972) • Man Mohan Sharma (1973) • Roddam Narasimha (1974) • Udipi Ramachandra Rao (1975) • Rajinder Kumar & Vaidyeswaran Rajaraman (1976) • S.N. Seshadri& Dig Vijai Singh (1978) • Palle Rama Rao (1979) • V S Arunachalam (1980) • Suhash Chandra Datta Roy (1981) • R.A. Mashelkar (1982) • K. Kasturirangan & S S Sukhatme (1983) • D.D. Bhawalkar & Paul Ratnasamy(1984) • P.R. Rao (1985) • Manohar Lal Munjal (1986) • Shrikant Lele (1987) • B D Kulkarni (1988) • S. Banerjee & G.V. Rao (1989) • S.K. Pal (1990) • J B Joshi (1991) • Vivek Shripad Borkar (1992) • Dipankar Banerjee & S.K. Bhatia (1993) • G Sundarrajan (1994) • Kamanio Chattopadhyay (1995) • Devang Vipin Khakhar (1987) • Ashok Jhunjhunwala & Anurah Sharma (1998) • Atul Chokshi & Soumitro Banerjee (2003) • S Choudhari & Vivek V Ranade (2004) • Kalyanmoy Deb (2005) • Ashish Lele & Sanjay Mittal (2006) • R Govindrajan & B.S.Murthy (2007) • Ranjan Kumar Mallik (2008) • Giridhar Madras & Jayant R Haritsa(2009) • G.K. Ananthasuresh & Sanghamitra Bandyopadhyay (2010) Sirshendu De & Upadrasta Ramamurty (2011)
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