About the Speaker: Prof. G. Swarup was born at Thakurdwara, UP, in 1929. He received M.Sc. degree in Physics from the Allahabad University in 1950 and Ph.D. from the Stanford University in 1961. He has been awarded D.Sc. degree (Honoris Causa) by the Roorkee University, Banaras Hindu University and Raipur University.
After his M.Sc., he spent 4 years at the National Physical Lab at Delhi, two years at CSIRO, Australia, one year at the Harvard University and 6 years at the Stanford University. He joined the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research in Mumbai in 1963 and retired in 1994. He is currently Honorary Professor, TIFR.
During 1965 to 1969 he setup a 530 m long and 30 m wide radio telescope of unique design in South India at Ooty. During 1987 to 1996 he directed the design of the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope near Pune, which consists of thirty dishes of 45m diameter and is the world's largest radio telescope operating in the frequency range of about 130 MHz to 1430 MHz. GMRT. It is being used by hundreds of astronomers from India and 32 countries.
He is internationally renowned for his pioneering contributions in the in the field of solar radio astronomy, radio galaxies, quasars, cosmology and radio instrumentation. He has authored over 125 research articles, guided 23 Ph.D. students, edited 4 books and has two patents.
In 1996 Prof. Govind Swarup and Dr. V.G. Bhide proposed setting up a Centre in Pune for 5-year education in science and applied sciences. After a great deal of correspondence and follow up by them and many others in Pune with the successive governments, finally it was approved in August 2004 by the MHRD minister in the UPA Govt. Later Prof. C. N. R. Rao requested the then cabinet in 2005 to set up IISERs at Pune and Kolkata.
He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of London and of all the national science academies in India. He has received over 20 national and international awards of which may be cited only a few: Padmashri 1973, S.S. Bhatnagar Award 1972, C.V. Raman Medal , William Herschel Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society in UK, Grote Reber Medal, Australia, and Homi Bhabha Life Time Achievement Award presented by the PM of India, 2008.
Programme:
11:00 am - Arrival of Dignitaries
11:05 am - Director's Report
11:15 am - Introduction of Chief Guest
11:20 am - Foundation day Lecture by Chief Guest
12:00 noon - Release of KALPA 2019 and PAHAL 2019
12:10 pm - Foundation day awards to students and staff
12:30 pm - Vote of Thanks by Registrar
Kindly be seated by 10:50 am and keep your mobile phones switched off.
