Who Was Jayant Narlikar? Noted Astrophysicist Passes Away At 87

Dr Jayant Vishnu Narlikar, astrophysicist, celebrated science communicator and recipient of the Padma Vibhushan, died in Pune in the early hours of May 20. He was 87. 

According to a report in news agency PTI, Dr Narlikar died in his sleep. He had recently undergone hip surgery. He is survived by his three daughters.

Dr Jayant Narlikar was a towering figure in Indian science whose work left an indelible mark on cosmology and science education. He is remembered not only for challenging the conventional Big Bang theory but also for building India’s scientific institutions and making complex scientific concepts accessible to the public.

Born on July 19 1938, Jayant Narlikar completed his early education on the campus of Banaras Hindu University (BHU). His father, Vishnu Vasudeva Narlikar, was a mathematician and head of the Department of Mathematics there.

Jayant Narlikar later pursued higher studies at the University of Cambridge, where became a Wrangler and Tyson Medallist in the Mathematical Tripos.

After returning to India, Dr Jayant Narlikar joined the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), where he led the Theoretical Astrophysics Group from 1972 to 1989. In 1988, the University Grants Commission invited him to establish the Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA) in Pune, where he served as the Founder Director until his retirement in 2003.

Under his leadership, IUCAA became a globally respected hub for education and research in astronomy and astrophysics. He continued as an Emeritus Professor at the institute.

In 2012, the Third World Academy of Sciences honoured him for creating a centre of scientific excellence.

One of his most significant scientific achievements was the formulation of the Hoyle–Narlikar theory, developed in collaboration with British astrophysicist Sir Fred Hoyle. This theory brings together Albert Einstein’s Theory Of Relativity with Mach’s principle. It suggests that a particle’s inertial mass is influenced by the presence and mass of all other particles in the universe, and this relationship is governed by a coupling constant that changes with the age of the cosmos.

Dr Jayant Narlikar received many accolades for his contributions to science and public outreach. In 1996, UNESCO presented him with the prestigious Kalinga Award for his work in making science accessible to the public. He was conferred the Padma Bhushan in 1965 when he was just 26 years old. He later received the Padma Vibhushan in 2004. In 2011, the Maharashtra government recognised his achievements with the Maharashtra Bhushan, the state’s highest civilian award. His autobiography in Marathi earned the Sahitya Akademi Award in 2014, the top literary honour for regional language writing.

Dr Narlikar was a passionate science communicator who believed that science should be accessible to everyone. He authored several books, wrote articles in popular media and made frequent appearances on radio and television to explain complex scientific ideas in simple language.