Society for Promotion of Science & Technology in India (SPSTI), a not-for-profit NGO, is going to organize a meeting “In Memoriam – Pioneer of Radio Astronomy” to pay tribute to Prof. Govind Swarup who left for his heavenly abode on September 07, 2020.

The meeting is scheduled to take place on September 20, 2020 at 11:00 AM through online mode. It is being organized in collaboration with Indian Institute of Science Education & Research (IISER) Mohali and Chandigarh Chapter of National Academy of Sciences India (NASI).

The tributes would be paid by students and colleagues of Prof. Swarup:

• Prof. Ajit Kembhavi, IUCAA, Pune
• Prof. Kulinder Pal Singh, IISER  Mohali
• Dr. Divya Oberoi, NCRA – TIFR, Pune will talk about work done by Professor Govind Swarup on the Sun, this includes some classic papers by him written before he returned to India.
• Prof. Rajaram Nityananda, Ajim Premji University, Bengaluru will speak about Govind’s role in setting up of the joint astronomy program at IISc (a collaboration between TIFR, PRL, RRI, IIA and IISc to have an astronomy graduate program). He will also speak about the opening up of Ooty radio telescope to astronomers at RRI, and later participation of RRI in building of GMRT.
• Prof. Yashwant Gupta, NCRA-TIFR, Pune: He will speak on observations of pulsars as a motivation for building GMRT and how the observatory has contributed to research in this area.
• Prof. Ashok K. Singal, Physical Research Laboratory, Ahmedabad was a student with Swarup in 1970s at Ooty.  He will speak about the Ooty telescope, and his experience as a student and colleagues with Swarup.  He is at Physical Research Laboratory where he retired some years ago and continues in a visiting capacity.
• Prof. Jayaram N. Chengalur, NCRA-TIFR, Pune will talk about detection of redshifted 21cm emission from high redshifts as being a key motivation for building GMRT.  He will also describe the work done by GMRT in this area.
• Prof. Sandeep Sahijpal, Panjab University, Chandigarh

The Members of the Organizing Committee are:

• Shri Dharam Vir, IAS (Retd.), Former Chief Secretary of Haryana & President SPSTI
• Prof. Arun K. Grover, PEC Chandigarh & Former VC, Panjab University
• Prof. Jasjeet S. Bagla, IISER Mohali
• Prof. Keya Dharamvir, Formerly of Panjab University & General Secretary

How to Attend the Meeting:

The meeting shall be held on Zoom on September 20, 2020 at 11:00 AM. Interested students, teachers, professors and all others who has keen interest in astronomy may register by clicking the link below: