Give young research scholars opportunity to serve the country, says M. Lakshmanan
The Hindu
Renowned physicist Muthuswamy Lakshmanan emphasizes the need for India to retain and utilize its research scholars effectively.
India should make a greater effort to employ the research scholars emerging from its institutions or risk losing them to foreign countries, says Muthuswamy Lakshmanan, Professor of Eminence and DST-SERB Distinguished Fellow, Department of Nonlinear Dynamics, School of Physics, Bharathidasan University (BDU) in Tiruchi.
In an interview with The Hindu, the noted theoretical physicist, who will be receiving the Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar – Vigyan Shri award in New Delhi this week (August 22), said that it was equally important for the nation to retain its senior scientists after retirement.
“There are many people who have completed their Ph.D, and are looking for permanent positions. In the absence of offers within India, many of them are looking to go abroad. Similarly, it is important to utilise the expertise of senior scientists in a productive manner,” he said.
With over 42 years spent in teaching, and 50 years in research, Mr. Lakshmanan (78), is considered a father figure in the field of nonlinear dynamics. He has made contributions to the general theory of solitons, integrable systems, magnetic and optical solitons and secure communications as well as quantum chaos and spatiotemporal patterns.
Born on March 25, 1946 in Thiruva Goundanpalayam village, Pollachi district, Mr. Lakshmanan showed an early aptitude for mathematics and physics. “Until Class V, I studied, with around 20-25 children of different ages, under the tree in our village. We had one teacher, who followed his own syllabus, and we learned by writing on the sand,” he recalled.
He graduated in Physics from N.G.M College, Pollachi, and then followed it up with Master’s at Madras Christian College.
His 1974 doctoral study was carried out at the Department of Theoretical Physics, University of Madras, under the supervision of Professor P. M. Mathews, leading him to a research career in Nonlinear Dynamics.
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