Page 23 - PROF-DHAWAN-COMPILED

PERSONAL NEWS

ies as the Scientific Advisory Commit- own very rational way, all those com- Dhawan, who has made multi-
tee to the Cabinet. He also helped peting ideas and forces; and he often dimensional contributions to scien-
mould other organizations whose Coun- shared these thoughts with his close tific education, research, policy
cils he headed. Most notable among colleagues before he made his deci- formulation and implementation and
these were the Raman Research Institute sions. is deeply concerned with the solu-
and NAL. As Director of NAL during Although he generally gave the tion of national problems through
1984-93, I must place on record how impression that he was not particularly the use of science.
much we benefited not only from his interested in Indian philosophy or relig-
advice and friendly criticism, but much ion, he once asked me whether there He was, most of all, the undeclared but
more importantly from his gentle but was some brief account I could recom- widely accepted moral and social con-
unceasing pressure on us to promote mend to him. In spite of this apparent science of the scientific community. He
civil aviation. Dhawan’s encourage- lack of interest, however, he was actu- was a great man.
ment, and the enthusiasm of the late Raj ally more deeply Indian in his funda-
Mahindra, provided the inspiration for mental attitudes and his value system 1. Dhawan, S., Tech. Rep No. 1121, Na-
tional Advisory Committee for Aeronau-
the civil aircraft projects that NAL went than most philosophy-lovers: he was a
tics, Washington DC, 1953.
ahead to pioneer. true karma - o gi .
y
2. Schlichting, H. and Gersten, K., Bound-
But what specially distinguished Dhawan was honoured widely for his
ary Layer Theory, Springer, 1999 (8th
Dhawan from many other eminent sci- contributions to science and technology
Revised and Enlarged Edition).
entists and engineers were his extraor- by various bodies within India and
3. Dhawan, S., in Surveys in Fluid Mechan-
dinary qualities as a leader and a human abroad. When he was invited to deliver
ics (eds Narasimha, R. and Deshpande, S.
being, his great personal charm, and his the Commonwealth Lecture at the Royal
M.), Indian Academy of Sciences, Banga-
6
keen social conscience. When the Sri- Aeronautical Society , he characteristi-
lore, 1982, pp. 1–15.
harikota Range was being built, he re- cally made a comprehensive review of
4. Developments in Fluid Mechanics and
jected a proposal to fence the range to everything that was being done in the Space Technology (eds Narasimha, R.
and Abdul Kalam, A. P. J.), Indian Acad-
keep cattle from it, noting that the range many different aeronautical institutions
emy of Sciences, Bangalore, 1988.
had belonged to the cattle and the tri- in the country. He was elected President
5. Dhawan, S., Bird Flight, Indian Academy
bals living there, and making alternative of the Indian Academy of Sciences in
of Sciences, Bangalore, 1991.
arrangements. He set up a museum 1977, and awarded the Padma Vib-
6. Dhawan, S., Aeronautical Research in
housing the artifacts that were found at hushan in 1981. He was one of the very
India (22nd British Commonwealth Lec-
the site. The mechanics making his pet few Indians to be elected to the US Na-
ture), J. Royal Aero. Soc., 1967, 71, 149–
gizmos for him in the Institute laborato- tional Academy of Engineering. He was
184.
ries – some of them highly skilled but a Distinguished Alumnus of both Cal-
7. Special Section: Instabilities, transitions
hardly educated – felt they were his tech and IISc. Two volumes of scien-
and turbulence (ed. Narasimha, R.), Curr.
4,7
friends, even as the students and his tific papers have been published as Sci., 2000, 79, 725–883.
own class-fellows in India and abroad tributes to him, with contributions from
did. He could be, and was, a tough man friends and admirers all over the world.
RODDAM NARASIMHA
many times, but never on personal con- Among his numerous other awards, one
siderations. that deserves particular mention is the
If he sometimes seemed indecisive, Indira Gandhi Award for National Inte-
National Institute of Advanced Studies,
that was because he accommodated so gration, bestowed on him in 1999 with a
Bangalore 560 012; and
many diverse points of view within citation that read in part:
Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced
himself; after knowing him for some
Scientific Research,
time I felt I could recognize the churn- The award goes fittingly to one of
Bangalore 560 064, India
ing that went on in his mind on those our foremost scientists, teachers,
e-mail: roddam@caos.iisc.ernet.in
critical occasions as he balanced, in his and national builders, Prof. Satish

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