Well known scientist and Padma Vibhushan Awardee, Roddam Narasimha passed away on Monday at the age of 87. Narasimha had suffered a brain haemorrhage and was shifted to the intensive care unit of a hospital in Bengaluru on December 8. The scientist, who served at the prestigious Indian Institute of Science (IISc), breathed his last at 8.30 pm.
Prime Minister Modi on Tuesday morning took to Twitter stating that he was “pained” by the news. “Roddam Narasimha personified the best of India’s tradition of knowledge and enquiry. He was an outstanding scientist, passionate about leveraging the power of science and innovation for India’s progress,” the PM wrote.
Born on July 20, 1933, Prof Narasimha made a mark in the field of aerospace and as a fluid dynamicist. He taught Aerospace Engineering at the IISc from 1962 to 1999. He also served as the director of the National Aerospace Laboratories from 1984 to 1993. He was the chairperson of the Engineering Mechanics unit at the Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR) in Bengaluru from 2000 to 2014.
Considering his contribution, the central government bestowed on him Padma Vibhushan, the second-highest civilian award of India, in 2013. Prior to this, he had been awarded the Padma Bhushan in 1987. Prof Narasimha was also the recipient of the Bhatnagar Prize, and the 2008 Trieste Science Prize.
