Pune: India has lost one of its most brilliant cosmic minds. Dr. Jayant Vishnu Narlikar, internationally renowned astrophysicist, fearless science communicator, and a lifelong defender of rational thought, passed away peacefully in his sleep at his residence in Pune on May 20. He was 87.
Dr. Narlikar’s contribution to India’s scientific progress, particularly in cosmology and space sciences, remains unparalleled. Known for challenging dominant scientific dogmas, such as the Big Bang theory, and for his tireless efforts to popularise science in the public domain, Narlikar leaves behind a legacy both vast and profound.
“He wasn’t just a scientist. He was India’s voice for rationality, scientific pluralism, and cosmic curiosity,” said one of his former students at IUCAA.
A Life Among the Stars: 5 Things to Know About Dr. Jayant Vishnu Narlikar
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Rooted in Knowledge, Raised by Mathematics
Born on July 19, 1938, in Kolhapur, Maharashtra, Dr. Narlikar was raised in the intellectually rich environment of Banaras Hindu University (BHU), where his father Vishnu Vasudeva Narlikar was the Head of the Mathematics Department. -
A Star at Cambridge
Narlikar completed his higher studies at the prestigious Cambridge University, where he became a Wrangler, won the Tyson Medal, and worked under the legendary Sir Fred Hoyle. He co-developed the Hoyle–Narlikar theory, which proposed an alternative to the Big Bang model. -
Building India’s Cosmic Infrastructure
After returning to India, he joined Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) and later founded the Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA) in 1988, with support from the University Grants Commission. Under his directorship, IUCAA became a world-class institution, fostering cutting-edge research and academic collaboration. -
Science for All
A brilliant writer and speaker, Dr. Narlikar reached beyond academia. He wrote science fiction, hosted television programmes, gave radio talks, and contributed columns and essays aimed at promoting scientific thinking across generations. -
A Decorated Trailblazer
He was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 1965 at the age of just 26, the Padma Vibhushan in 2004, and the Maharashtra Bhushan in 2011. In 1996, he received the UNESCO Kalinga Prize for his science communication efforts.
🛸 The Scientist Who Challenged the Cosmos
Dr. Narlikar’s career was defined not only by scholarship but by dissent, boldly questioning prevailing scientific theories. His work on Mach’s Principle, gravity, and steady-state cosmology earned global respect. As President of the Cosmology Commission of the International Astronomical Union, and as a Fellow of all three Indian science academies, he was often the contrarian voice who expanded the limits of scientific thought.
He even ventured into space microbiology, leading balloon experiments into the stratosphere to explore whether life on Earth could have extraterrestrial origins a possibility he never dismissed.
🔭 Legacy That Lives On
From Pune to the stars, from labs to living rooms—Jayant Narlikar made science accessible, fearless, and imaginative. His passing marks not just the loss of a scientist, but the fading of a rare kind of intellectual courage in our times.
He is survived by his three daughters and by a nation whose scientific foundations he helped strengthen.
“The universe was his canvas. His legacy is written in the stardust of ideas that inspired a generation to look up and think.”
