The IIT Bombay community deeply mourns the passing of Dr. Jayant Vishnu Narlikar, a towering figure in Indian science and a long-standing friend and mentor to our Institute. He passed away on 20 May 2025 at the age of 86 years.
Dr. Narlikar maintained a close association with the Institute and was a strong advocate of academic and research programs in astrophysics. Several members of the IIT Bombay fraternity flourished in their research under his guidance. He delivered numerous inspiring colloquia at the Institute and served as a mentor and role model to many faculty members and students.
Dr. Jayant Vishnu Narlikar was born on July 19, 1938, in Kolhapur, Maharashtra and received his early education on the campus of Banaras Hindu University (BHU), where his father Prof. Vishnu Vasudeva Narlikar was Head of the Mathematics Department. His mother Ms. Sumati Narlikar was a Sanskrit scholar. After an outstanding academic record in school and college, Dr. Narlikar earned his B.Sc degree in 1957. He then proceeded to Cambridge for higher studies, where he became a Wrangler and Tyson Medallist in the Mathematical Tripos. He earned several degrees from Cambridge in mathematics: B.A. (1960), Ph.D. (1963), M.A. (1964) and Sc.D. (1976), while specializing in astronomy and astrophysics. His excellence at Cambridge was further recognized with the Smith’s Prize in 1962 and the Adams Prize in 1967. He remained at Cambridge until 1972, serving as a Fellow of King’s College (1963–72) and a Founder Staff Member of the Institute of Theoretical Astronomy (1966–72). During this period, he laid the foundations of his research in cosmology and astrophysics in collaboration with his mentor, Fred Hoyle.
In 1966, Dr. Narlikar married Ms. Mangala Rajwade, a Ph.D. in mathematics. They have three daughters - Ms.Geeta, Ms. Girija and Ms. Leelavati - all of whom pursued careers in science.
In 1972, Dr. Narlikar returned to India to join the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), where he led the Theoretical Astrophysics Group to international prominence. In 1988, he was invited by the University Grants Commission to serve as the Founder Director of the proposed Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA). He retired from this position in 2003. Under his visionary leadership, IUCAA gained worldwide recognition as a center of excellence in teaching and research in astronomy and astrophysics.
Dr. Narlikar was internationally renowned for his contributions to cosmology, particularly for advocating alternative models to the widely accepted Big Bang theory. He served as President of the Cosmology Commission of the International Astronomical Union from 1994 to 1997. His pioneering research spans diverse areas including gravity, Mach’s Principle, quantum cosmology and action-at-a-distance physics. He received numerous national and international honors and honorary doctorates. Among his accolades are the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Award, the M.P. Birla Award, the Prix Janssen of the French Astronomical Society and association with the Royal Astronomical Society of London. He was also a Fellow of all three Indian science academies and the Third World Academy of Sciences.
Apart from his scientific research, Dr. Narlikar was an acclaimed science communicator, known for his books, articles and radio/ TV programs. In recognition of these efforts, UNESCO conferred on him the Kalinga Award in 1996.
Between 1999 and 2003, Dr. Narlikar led an international team in a groundbreaking experiment that involved sampling air at altitudes up to 41 km to detect microorganisms. Biological analysis of the collected samples revealed the presence of live cells and bacteria, raising the fascinating possibility that Earth is continually bombarded by microorganisms, some of which might have seeded life here.
Dr. Narlikar was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 1965 at the remarkably young age of 26 and the Padma Vibhushan in 2004. Both Dr Narlikar and his late wife were prolific writers in Marathi Science literature.
His passing is an immense loss to the scientific community and to the nation. We extend our heartfelt condolences to his daughters Prof. Geeta Narlikar (Distinguished Alumna, MSc Chemistry, IIT Bombay, 1992), Ms. Girija Narlikar (Distinguished Alumna, B.Tech. Computer Science, IIT Bombay, 1993) and Ms. Leelavati Narlikar and the entire Narlikar family. Our thoughts are with them in this moment of grief. We also remember with respect and admiration his late wife Dr. Mangala Narlikar, who passed away in 2023 and who was herself a distinguished mathematician.