January 1992 No. 24 Newsletter of the Indian Academy of Sciences

the afternoon of 8 November 1991 on "Doing 57th Annual Science in : Problems, Limitations and Challenges" under the chairmanship of Meeting Prof. C N R Rao . There were 7 main speakers: A Chakravorty, R Chidambaram, R Jayaraman, D Balasubramanian, R A Mashelkar, N Mukunda and R Narasimha and 8 speakers from the At the invitation of the National Chemical audience. Prof. C N R Rao led the discussion. Laboratory, Pune, the 57th Annual Meeting of He was of the view that the experimental work the Academy was held at Pune ftom 8 to 11 in both and physics was poor. November 1991. A Chakravorty spoke of the mammoth The Meeting began with the inaugural contradictions that exist. R Chidambaram while session on the morning of Friday, 8 November agreeing with C N R Rao about the poor quality at the National Chemical laboratory (NCl) of experimental phYSiCS, remarked that the Auditorium. Dr R A Mashelkar, Director, NCL velocity of Rand 0 is much lower in India than welcomed the delegates. Since the Academy elsewhere, due to bureaucratic procedures, held its last meeting in Pune in 1983, a apathy on the part of in accepting 'Research Belt' had come into being in Pune, conditions as they are, the lack of adequate consisting of the Poona University, the Centre peer groups, poor interaction between scientists, for Development of Advanced Computing poor access to knowledge and information and (C-DAC), the National Informatics Centre (NIC) the difficulties in travel, particularly to attend (Western Region), the Inter-University Centre international conferences. One of the main for Astrophysics and Astronomy (lUCAA), the drawbacks was our value system and the import National Centre for Radio Astrophysics with its of equipment with not enough indigenous Giant Metre Radio Telescope (GMRT) Project, development of instruments. Another the National Chemical laboratory (NCl), the shortcoming was the lower value placed on National Institute of Virology (NIV), the Indian applied science and scientists, when compared Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), the to basic sciences. R Jayaraman pointed out how Armament Research and Development scientists in universities are looked down upon Establishment (ARDE), the Explosives Research by others and how problems in the seventies and Development laboratory (ERDL) and the and eighties are completely different. After Mechanical Engineering Research and 1980, when DST identified thrust areas in Development Organization (MERADO). All these research and after the Baroda meeting on research institutions located on Homi Bhabha Biology which marked a turning point in Road were involved in organizing the 57th research in Biological Sciences, the situation had Annual Meeting. improved considerably. He also spoke of the Prof. C N R Rao, President of the Academy disappointing lack of dedication among the spoke of the traditions established by its younger scientists and of the difficulties faced founder, Professor Raman, and of the aims of by scientists in speedy publication of papers, the Academy. He next introduced the Fellows availability of perishable and other materials, and Associates present to the audience - a time­ etc. honoured custom established by its Founder­ o Balasubramanian presented a brighter President. He then delivered the Presidential picture and said that it was far easier to work Address related to his research in the areas of in biophysics in India than elsewhere. He "Metal Clusters and Molecular Carbon Balls". quoted the example of G N Ramachandran and The first session was a Discussion Meeting in the vibrant school he built. R A Mashelkar also was more optimistic. While the growth in some of its general features. The second talk industrial research was brisk, this was not, was by K Kishore of the Indian Institute of however, synonymous with technological Science, Bangalore on "Kauzmann's paradox development. He said that industrial Rand 0 is and configurational entropies in long chain poor at present, though India is the largest molecules". He described the glass-forming producer of sugar, bicycles, fans, sewing attributes of long chain molecules (mol. wt. machines etc.; our technology is archaic 300-1000). because of protection and lack of competition. The Evening lecture on 9 November at the He spoke of motivating fresh science graduates Fergusson College Auditorium was given by to do industrial research and of accountability Dr Deepak Nayyar, Chief Economic Adviser and and how there must be a change in our Secretary, Ministry of Finance, Department of attitudes and healthy competition in industry. N Economic Affairs, New Delhi, on the "Crisis in Mukunda spoke of the need for a minimum and the Economy". A brief abstract of his lecture is continuous high quality work. reproduced in this issue. The speakers from the audience spoke of The first talk in the third session on Monday, the problems they face. P R Pisharoty summed 11 November under the chairmanship of Prof. up the feelings of many in the audience when E S Raja Gopal, was by M lakshmanan of he listed the essential ingredients for good Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirapalli on the sCience as ambition, courage and hard work. "AnalytiC structure of integrable and chaotic The session came to a close with a concluding dynamical systems". He spoke of how the speech by the Chairman. concepts of soliton and chaos have A symposium on "Extragalactic Astronomy revolutionized our understanding of dynamical and Cosmology" was held in the forenoon of systems in recent times. These nonlinear Saturday, 9 November under the chairmanship dynamical systems possess a multitude of of Prof. R Cowsik. A brief report on the mathematical properties, where analysis is symposium is given in this issue. imperative to the understanding of their physical There were 1 2 lecture presentations by properties. Fellows and Associates in the afternoon of The next talk was by Y Singh, Banaras Hindu Saturday, 9 November and in the forenoon of University, Varanasi on "Behaviour of excess Monday, 11 November. electrons in a classical bath". The last talk in The first session under the chairmanship of this session was by S V Subramanyam, Indian Prof. R Kumar consisted of three talks. Institute of Science, Bangalore on "Unusual S K Ghosh of Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, properties of low-dimensional systems". He Bombay spoke on the "Density description of gave examples of low-dimensional electrically many-electron systems". He showed that the conducting systems which have unusually large density functional theory not only leads to anisotropy in electrical conductivity. The studies computational economy due to its single-particle were carried out in a miniature high pressure framework, but also provides a rigorous cell in which electrical conductivity foundation and important generalizations of measurements can be made at pressures of several widely used chemical concepts like 8 GPa, temperature down to 1 K and magnetic electro negativity, hard soft acid base, valency fields up to 7 Tesla. etc. P K Chattaraj of Indian Institute of The last session under the chairmanship of Technology, Kharagpur next spoke on "Non­ Prof. S S Jha had four speakers. A K Sood, linear chemical dynamics". He described the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore spoke on quantum fluid density functional theory that he "High pressure spectroscopy of C60 and other had developed to study the ion-atom collision novel systems". The next talk was by and atom-field interaction problems in terms of Darshan Ranganathan of the Indian Institute different time-dependent properties. The last talk of Technology, Kanpur on "The design of novel of the session was by T P Radhakrishnan, chemical models for enzyme action". She University of Hyderabad, who spoke on "Spin described how the understanding of some of coupling in non-Kekule systems and organic the most vital biological operations of nature, ferromagnetism". He critically reviewed the at a molecular level, and the design of various models proposed during the last two chemical models to simulate these, have decades to achieve ferrimagnetic or provided novel concepts in synthetic organic ferromagnetic coupling of spins in organic chemistry. system, if not ferromagnetic ordering. The last two talks were by S K Brahmachari, The second session was held that afternoon Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore on under the chairmanship of Dr S Varadarajan. "Structural motifs in DNA as regulatory signals" B J Cherayil of the Indian Institute of Science, and G Shanmugam, Madurai Kamaraj Bangalore spoke on "Starburst polymers" and University, Madurai on "Cell cycle regulation". Brahmachari spoke of the novel approach used by him to delineate the DNA structural elements Council for the responsible for regulation of gene expression in vivo. Shanmugam described mammalian cell cycle regulation mechanisms. Triennium The Annual Meeting came to a close with concluding remarks by Prof. S S Jha and Prof. 1992-94 H Sharat Chandra. A full day excursion to was The outgoing Council held an election in December to constitute the Council for organized on Sunday, 10 November. The 1991 the next triennium 1992-94. The composition Business Meeting of Fellows was held at Green of the new Council is as follows: Hill Campus, Mahabaleshwar, before a visit by the delegates to Old Mahabaleshwar and Arthur R Narasimha, National Aeronautical Laboratory, Seat Point via Elphinstone Point and Echo Point. Bangalore - President C N R Rao, Indian Institute of Science, Six short talks were given during the Bangalore - Past President Business Meeting. These were by V K on the recent earthquake in northern India and A N Bhaduri, Indian Institute of Chemical the unc;lerlying causes, by R Chidambaram, Biology, Calcutta who described the nuclear reactor programme o Chakravorty, Indian Association for the in the country and its potential in such areas Cultivation of Science, Calcutta as power reactors, cancer therapy, etc, by M K Chandrashekaran, Madurai Kamaraj M Vijayan, who spoke of the research being University, Madurai done by his group in Bangalore in the field of R Chidambaram, Bhabha Atomic Research protein ahd virus crystallography, by Centre, Bombay - Vice-President R K Varma, who described the recent results V K Gaur, Department of Ocean Development, obtained by his group which shows violation New Delhi of the well-known theory of motion of charged particles, by K Gopalan, who pointed out the Indira Nath, All India Institute of Medical scientific significance of rocks and by Sciences, New Delhi o R Sikka, who spoke on medium range S S Jha, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, weather forecasting with the help of super Bombay computers. V Krishnan, Indian Institute of Science, There was a delightful evening of music Bangalore - Secretary and drama, on 8 November, when Cashiram R A Mashelkar, National Chemical Laboratory, Kotwa/, a Marathi play, was staged by the Pune Theatre Academy, Pune at the Balgandharva G "Mehta, University of Hyderabad, Hyderaoad Theatre. - Vice-President 140 Fellows and 12 Associates attended the R Nityananda, Raman Research Institute, Meeting. The group photograph taken at the Bangalore National Chemical Laboratory on 8 November G Padmanaban, Indian Institute of Science, is reproduced on pages 8 and 9. Bangalore - Vice-President The organization and arrangements for the V Radhakrishnan, Raman Research Institute, scientific meetings, cultural event and Bangalore - Treasurer excursion were superb. The Academy is P Rama Rao, Department of Science and grateful to the National Chemical Laboratory, Technology, New Delhi - Vice-President particularly Dr R A Mashelkar, Director, NCL K B Sinha, Indian Statistical Institute, New Delhi and his colleagues especially Dr S Devotta, Raman Research Institute, Local Organizing Secretary who made the G Srinivasan, Bangalore - Editor of Publications Meeting the splendid success it was. Our special thanks are due to G Swarup and M Vijayan, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore V K Kapahi who organized the symposium on N Viswanadham, Indian Institute of Science, "Extragalactic Astronomy and Cosmology". Bangalore - Secretary K N Ganeshaiah, University of Agricultural Honorary Fellows Sciences, Bangalore, for his work in plant evolutionary biology elected in 1991 S N Ganguli, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Bombay, for his contributions in J T Bonner, Princeton University, Princeton, experimental high energy physics New Jersey, USA R M Godbole, University of Bombay, Bombay, G Neuweiler, Ludwig-Maximilians Universitat, for her work in theoretical particle physics MUnchen, Germany P S Goel, ISRO Satellite Centre, Bangalore, for H Ratajczak, University of Wroclaw, Wroclaw, his work in satellite technology Poland Gomathy Gopinath, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, for her contributions to neurobiology

J N Goswami, Physical Research Laboratory, Fellows elected Ahmedabad, for his work on the solar system, In 1991 particularly meteorites J Gowrishankar, Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Hyderabad, for his studies Garhwal University, Asha Chandola-Saklani, in bacterial genetics Sri nagar, Garhwal for her studies of the reproduction and migration in birds etc. E D Jemmis, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad, for his work in theoretical chemistry D Banerjee, Defence Metallurgical Research Laboratory, Hyderabad for his studies in N V Joshi, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, electron microscopy and titanium metallurgy for his studies in population genetics and S K Basu, National Institute of Immunology, sociobiology New Delhi, for his work in immunology V Kannan, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad, J Chandrasekhar, Indian Institute of Science, for his work in topology and functional analysis Bangalore, for his theoretical studies of structure and reactivity in organic compounds K Kesava Rao, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, for his contributions in chemical R V Chaudhari, National Chemical Laboratory, engineering particularly the flow of powders Pune, for hi~ contributions to the studies of catalysis D Mathur, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Bombay, for his work in experimental B M Choudary, Indian Institute of Chemical atomic and molecular physics Technology, Hyderabad, for his work on catalysis M R N Murthy, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, for his contributions to virus C Dasgupta, Indian Institute of Science, crystallography Bangalore, for his theoretical studies of disordered systems and phase transitions K Nag, Indian Association for the Cultivation of A C Dash, Utkal University, Bhubaneswar, for Science, Calcutta, for his work in. transition his work in transition metal chemistry metal chemistry

A Datta, jawaharlal Nehru University, New R Nagaraj, Centre for Cellular and Molecular Delhi, for his contributions in molecular biology Biology, Hyderabad, for his studies of membrane biochemistry S Dattagupta, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, for his studies of non-equilibrium S B Ogale, University of Poona, Pune, for his relaxation phenomena work on ion and laser processing of materials T Padmanabhan, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Bombay, for his contributions in Crisis in the quantum gravity and cosmology V N R Pillai, Mahatma Gandhi University, Economy Ettumanur, Kerala, for his work in organic polymer science Summary of the Evening Lecture on B l S Prakasa Rao, Indian Statistical Institute, "Crisis in the Economy: Problems of New Delhi, for his studies in mathematical Adjustment and Transition" given by Dr statistics Deepak Nayyar, Chief Economic Adviser and Secretary, Ministry of Finance, S Ramasesha, Indian Institute of Science, Department of Economic Affairs, New Bangalore, for his work in quantum chemistry Delhi on 9 November 1991 at the 57th S C Sanyal, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, Annual Meeting of the Academy held at for his contributions in medical microbiology Pune. Elaborating on the government's radical K D Sen, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad, liberalization policies and its fallouts, he said for his work in quantum chemistry that the scientific community's dependence on P N Shankar, National Aeronautical laboratory, the State would have to remain, as the private Bangalore, for his studies in fluid mechanics sector was incapable of encouraging and sustaining basic research. Although the S R Shenoy, University of Hyderabad, government was committed to ensure that the Hyderabad, for his work in theoretical breeze of liberalization blew over all spheres condensed matter physics of economic activities in the country, science S R Shetye, National Institute of Oceanography, and technology was one area which could not Goa, for his studies in physical oceanography be exposed to uncertainties and the pulls and pressures of the market place. However, there S Sivaram, National Chemical laboratory, Pune, was a necessity for encouraging a greater for his work in polymer chemistry and symbiotic relationship between the scientific technology community and Indian industry, for translating S K Sopory, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New research into products. Advances in science Delhi, for his studies in plant physiology and technology ought to be removed from the confines of the laboratories and J Srinivasan, Indian Institute of Science, commercialited. Dwelling on the flaws of the Bangalore, for his contributions to heat transfer existing system, he said that it was imperative studies to spawn a new breed of entrepreneurs in the country who could form a link with the R Srinivasan, National Geophysical Research Institute, Hyderabad, for his work in practitioners of science. He reassured scientists precambrian geology that the allocations to national laboratories and institutions of basic research would continue G Sundararajan, Defence Metallurgical Research without any hitch. However, he pointed out Laboratory, Hyderabad, for his studies of the that, over the years, technology imports had mechanical behaviour of materials been absorbed but not adapted. Innovative breakthroughs and displays of innovative V S Sunder, Indian Statistical Institute, Bangalore, endeavours were rare and this trend needs to for his contributions to operator algebra be reversed, for India could ill-afford to be R Uma Shaanker, University of Agricultural technology followers in all areas. The effects Sciences, Bangalore, for his work in plant of the governmental reforms would unwittingly evolutionary biology creep into the scientific arena too and one could expect upheavals in the near future, M Vidyasagar, Centre for Artificial Intelligence compounding the technological problems. and Robotics, Bangalore, for his work on control theory and robotics

S R Wadia, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Bombay, for his contributions to theoretical particle physics clustering, collisionless relaxation, caustic and Extragalactic shock formation can, however, usefully be described in physical terms, and gravity plays Astronomy and a prominent role in most current theories. G Swarup of NCRA described observational Cosmology efforts to detect neutral atomic hydrogen in the universe by radio observations as well as the significance of this area. Some of their own The 57th Annual Meeting featured a work has given upper limits while very symposium on extragalactic astronomy -and recently a detection has been claimed. Half of cosmology, areas which happen to be of great ( his talk was devoted to the efforts to build the interest to IUCAA (the Inter-University Centre Giant Metre wavelength Radio Telescope at a for Astronomy and Astrophysics) and NCRA site north of Pune. This powerful instrument is (the National Centre for Radio Astrophysics, expected to make a significant contribution to of TIFR), two institutions located in Pune. The observational cosmology. chairman of the session, R Cowsik of TIFR, Bombay, gave a brief introduction to the N Panchapakesan of Delhi University development of the subject over the last few brought out the very fascinating connections decades. V K Kapahi of TIFR then described between physics at the shortest possible efforts to locate galaXies at great distances scales, viz. particle physics and cosmology. (equivalently, at high redshifts or early in the In a sense the classical work on the evolution of the universe). These searches synthesis of the light chemical elements comes have given spectacular results in the last few in this category but the subject has seen a years where carefully selected radio sources resurgence with the study of phase transitions are used as beacons to guide the observer to in the early universe. These have implications such young galaxies. Two teams with members for the idea of inflation-exponentially rapid at the NCRAITIFR' have played an important expansion at an early stage-as well as role in finding and studying these objects. The baryogenesis-the development of extended and distorted spatial shapes, differences between the numbers of particles measured spectra, and many other properties and antiparticles. of these galaxies are the subject of intense The final talk by J V NarJikar of IUCAA theoretical and observational study: started with the well-known successes of the The next talk, by T Padmanabhan of TIFR, 'big bang' model and went on to list its Bombay, focussed attention on the shortcomings. One argument was that the lack confrontation between cosmological models of detected anisotropy of the microwave and several crucial observations. These include background radiation implied a more recent ~ the early formation of galaxies, the spatial origin after galaxies had formed. He criticized correlations in their positions, their large scale the trend of attributing associations between velocities, and the deviations from uniformity objects of Widely differing red:;hifts to of the cosmic microwave background gravitational lensing as "bad science" and radiation. Exhibiting all these constraints on a suggested that alternative mechanisms for single diagram of mass contrast versus length redshifts should be explored. There was a scale, he made the point that every current lively discussion, during which it was urged model faces difficulties. that the gravitational lens model had made successful predictions and that more recent The talk by R Nityananda of the Raman origins for the background radiation might lead Research Institute concentrated on the to stronger conflicts with observations than the nonlinear dynamical processes which shape big bang models. the initial perturbations into galaxies as observed today. The most recent work It was clear from the session that this area naturally involves large scale computing to get will see many interesting observa'tional and quantitative results. Many processes like theoretical developments in the years to come. This volume was prepared as a tribute to Special G.N. Ramachandran, who has made seminal contributions to diverse areas of X-ray crystallography, conformational analysis of Publications biomolecules, fibrous protein structures and three-dimensional image reconstruction. He has 1. Direct Nuclear Reactions - Proceedings of been the driving force behind the development the International Seminar on Direct Nuclear of crystallography and molecular biophysics in Reactions. Edited by N G Puttaswamy, 1991, India. This Festschrift is an acknowledgement of 565 pages, Rs 350/US $ 35 . his dominant role in shaping biological research in the country. An International Seminar on Direct Nuclear Reactions was held in Bangalore during 12-16 There are 43 papers on a wide range of January 1989, soon after the International topics, from Analysis and Prediction of Protein Conference on Nuclear Reaction Mechanisms Structures, Protein Structure and Function, held in Calcutta during 3-9 January 1989. Nucleic Acids and Drug Interactions, Molecular Organised by the Bangalore University, the Recognition, Peptide Conformation and Design, Conference had as its aim a review of the Peptides as Biological Models to Membrane current trends in the experimental and Transport and Viruses and <;:ellular Metabolism._ theoretical aspects of direct nuclear reactions initiated by light and heavy ions.

3. Researches on Cellular !>llme Moulds - Selected Papers of J. T. Bonner. Foreword by The present volume contains the texts of the Edward Cox, Vidyanand Nanjundiah and Bernd 38 invited talks and 12 contributed papers Wurste!, 1991, 420 pages, Rs 100/US $ 20. which were presented at the Conference under six main topics-nuclear reactions at high Prof. John Tyler Bonner has been in the energies, heavy-ion reactions, elastic scattering, Princeton University since 1947 and was the inelastic scattering and charge-exchange George M. Moffett Professor at the Department reactions with light ions, transfer reactions with of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology of the light ions (experimental and theoretical), knock­ University since 1966 till his formal retirement out, break-~p and fragmentation reactions. in 1990. This volume has been brought out to commemorate his visit to India as the Raman In addition to a subject index and an author Professor of the Academy from October 1990 index, the volume also gives a list of participants to January 1991. of the Conference. As mentioned in the Foreword, John Bonner, more than anyone else, has been responsible for the recognition that the Cellular Slime Moulds constitute an ideal system for many of the problems of developmental biology. The present collection of selected papers by John Bonner is a survey of his publications and contains 46 selected papers published during the last 45 years from 1944 to 1989. He has shown that developmental patterns are the result of

2. Molecular Conformation and Biological Interactions - C.N. Ramachandran Festschrift. Edited by P. Balaram and S. Ramaseshan, 1991, 722 pages, Rs 350/US $ 65 . Participants at the 57th Annual Meeting held at Pune

1. V Radhakrishnan 19. T Pradhan 37. G Madhavan 55. D Balasubramanian 73. 2. P Rama Rao 20. S Banerjee 3B . Sandhya S. Vishweshvariah 56. P K Malhotra 7.$. 3. D V Bal 21 . K S Krishna Swamy 39, S K Ghosh 57 . R Anantnakrishnan 75. 4. 5 S Jha 22. K K Mahajan 40. T Ramakrishnan 5B . A V Khare 76. ~ .. 5. V Krishnan 23. Prem Narain 41. S Biswas 59. R Chidambaram 1'- 6. S Varadarajan 24. B M Deb 42. M Rathnam 60. G 5 R Subba Rao 78. 7. C N R Rao 25. B 5 Chauhan 43. S Mazumdar 61 . S Rajappa 79. B. R A Mashelkar 26. F Ahmad 44. Sudha G Gangal 62. S K Sikka SJ . 9. P R Pisharoty 27. D V S Jain 45 . K D Abhyankar 63 . K R Rao 81. 10. A Mani 28. D D Awasthi 46. 5 Krishnan 64. Y Singh Bl. 11 . M 5 Valiathan 29. J Shankar 47. R N Singh 65. S C Dutta Roy 83. 12. R Narasimha 30. K Kasturirangan 48 . K S Gandhi 66. A Sridharan M. 13. B D Tilak 31. M L Munjal 49. P K Das 67. K KG Menon 85. 1" 14. V G Bhide 32. B C Subba Rao 50. H a Agrawal 6B. R N Iyengar ~o. 15. Darshan Ranganathan 33 . C R Narayanan 51. Rama 69. M Vijayan 8:-. 16. S K Ghosh 34. A M Kayastha 52. Anand Mohan 70. U W Kenkare 25. 17. P G Adyalkar 35. l Hanumanthappa 53 . M R Raghavendra Rao 71 . 5 V Subramanyam C? lB. B K Nayar 36. A Nagaraj 54 ., J V Narlikar 72. K Kishore ~~ 73. R Jayaraman 91. K Gopalan 111 . C Siva Raman 1 30. S Bhaduri 74. V V S Sarma 92. C Leelanandam 112. P K Chattaraj 131. S K Bhattacheqee 75 . Madhav Gadgil 94. R Ramachandran 113. A Venkoba Rao 132. R Kumar =-6. E S Raja Gopal 95. K C Malhotra 114. J P Mittal 133. R Cowsik ;7. P V Kulkarni 96. S Chandrasekaran 115. A Chakravorty 134. B V Sreekantan :-8. R Srinivasan 97. V C Thakur 116. K Nagarajan 135. G Srinivasan :-9. V Rajamani 98. Uday Maitra 117. S K Mlshra 136. N Panchapakesan OJ. K M Madyastha 100. B j Cherayil 118. T R Kasturi 137. S K Pradhan 81. S K Srinivasan 101. DOPant 119. j B Joshi 138. R Nityananda 51. N Mukunda 102. K Venkateswarlu 120. P N Tandon 139. P C Vaidya 53. P Natarajan 103. J C Bhattacharyya 121. M K Asundi 140. K B Misra &.t. S N Tandon 104. V K Kapahi 122. 0 R Sikka 141 . Peter JayaraJ 85. N V G Sarma 105. R K Varma 123. B Basu 143. N K Notan; :6. S P Pandya 106. V Sitaramam 124. B R Murty 87. 0 J Saikia 107. PKGupta 125. SMChitre Ea. N S Narasimhan 108. E C Subbarao 127. C R Bhatia 89. K Naha 109. C J Saldanha 128. P C Agrawal 90. S Ranganathan 110. M R Das 129. Pradip evolution-what evolves is a life cycle as a contributions presented at the Workshop on whole, not a phenotype in "bits and pieces" and Recent Advances in Modelling and Control of that growth and form must have been of prime Stochastic Systems held at the Indian Institute importance in the evolution of differentiation. of Science (IISc), Bangalore from 7 to 11 Motivated perhaps by his own experiments on January 1991. The Workshop was jOintly social amoebae, he has examined, from the view sponsored by the Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for point of an evolutionary biologist, more complex Advanced Scientific Research, the Department social interactions, leading all the way to the of Computer Sciences and Automation of liSe evolution of culture. and the Central Research Laboratories of The present collection is a must for cellular Bharat Electronics Limited. It focussed on four slime mould fans and also for everyone core areas of stochastic modelling, which have interested in getting acquainted with the central seen tremendous activity in recent years, viz. questions which have guided research on this learning Automata and Neural Networks, remarkable developmental system. Identification and Control of Stochastic Systems, Queueing Models for Performance Analysis of Computer and Communication Systems and Stochastic Models for Special Issues of Manufacturing Systems. The prime motivation for organizing the Journals Workshop was the feeling, later justified by events, that there are enough workers in the frontiers of these areas and more persons 1. Bulletin of Materials Science - Volume 14, even No.2, April 1991, pages 93-530; No.3, June interested in them to provide a "critical mass" 1991, pages 531-888; No.4, August 1991, and the hope that events like the Workshop pages 889-1170 - International Conference on could trigger heightened activity based on an Superconductivity - I, II and III. exchange of ideas. All twelve of the papers presented at the Workshop are published in The International Conference on these two issues of Superconductivity, sponsored by the Sadhana. Superconductivity Programme Management Board and the Department of Science and Technology of the Government of India and 3. Special issue on Lasers in Chemistry - supported by many other agencies, was, held Proceedings: Chemical Sciences, Vol. 103, at Bangalore from 10 to 14 January 1990. No.3, March 1991, pages 201-523. There were 41 plenary and invited talks The laser, as a radiation source, with its during the Conference representing the state of high intensity, sharp frequency and short pulse the art. These were published as a book titled duration, has revolutionized chemistry in many "International Conference on Superconductivity diverse research areas such as molecular - ICSC" in 1990 by the World Scientific spectroscopy, molecular dynamics, linear and Publishing Company (WSPC), Singapore. In nonlinear photochemistry, photobiology, addition to these talks, there were 298 radiative and non-radiative molecular contributed papers and oral presentations in the processes, dynamics of ultrafast processes and following areas: preparation, characterization, structure and dynamics of the liquid state. The electrical properties, magnetic properties, theory present volume co'ntains 38 invited and and applications. 189 of the 298 contributed contributed talks presented at the Conference papers and the invited talk by M Yu Kuprianov, on Lasers in Chemistry held from 11-15 June which could not be included in the volume 1990, at Miramare, Trieste, Italy by the newly published by WSPC, have now been published formed International Centre for Pure and as three massive special issues of the Bulletin. Applied Chemistry (ICC), established in Trieste The editors hope that the academic interaction jointly by the Third World Academy of initiated at the conference will continue and that Sciences, the UN Industrial Development these published papers will be found useful by the community. Organization (l,JN!DO) and the Italian Government, which forms part of the 2. Sadhana - Academy Proceedings in International Centre for Science and High Engineering Sciences, Volume 15, parts 4 and Technology (lC5). 5, December 1990, pages 249-420 - The volume contains first the contributions Modelling and Control of Stochastic Systems. from invited speakers, followed by contributed These two issues are devoted to the articles arranged and grouped by fields. K S Singh, Director General, Anthropological The People of Survey of India, New Delhi opened the discussion with a talk on the genesis and India background of the project "People of India". Madhav Gadgil next spoke on how best the People of India data can be fruitfully A discussion meeting on Computer Format utilized from various angles. He highlighted Analysis of the People of India Project jointly the resource subsistence management in small organized by the Academy, the Anthropological scale societies and complex societies and how Survey of India and the Centre for Ecological the interplay of ecological and occupational Sciences, was held at the Centre for Ecological factors effect in several societies can be Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore studied. from July 1 2-16, 1991. About 23 scholars took part in the deliberations. Several useful guidelines for further work emerged from the extensive discussions. It was The People of India project was initiated by felt that the methodology employed for the Anthropological Survey of India on 2 deciding the kind of data to be collected, and October 1985 to obtain a brief anthropological for collecting field data, should be described profile of various communities of India. In this in a detailed document. A more selective project 4410 different communities were approach should be taken in the choice of identified and studied, covering all the States traits to be analysed and controversial items and Union Territories. Each community was like bonded labour should be dropped. The studied in one or two locations, interviewing richness of the data is such that simple at least five key informants, of whom one was univariate analysis is bound to give very a woman. Two hundred and sixty six research important insights, and should be completed personnel from the Anthropological Survey of before more complex multivariate analysis is India and 215 scholars from various universities taken up. and research institutes were involved in the project who on the whole spent 22442 days in One of the most useful outcomes of the the field, interviewing 23862 people, covering meeting was the identification of some 2908 villages and 2359 towns and cities. A important and hitherto undocumented traits, seventeen point schedule guideline was used to such as pastoral/non-pastoral, nomadic, coUect data on various aspects like synonyms, urban/rural etc. Tabulation of these traits is to subgroups, titles, language, distribution, be taken up on a prio!ity basis. population, natural environment, food habitat, After the trait-wise analysiS, the analysis of life-cycle rituals, economic activities, art, craft, communities, separately for distinct groups religion, social organization, intercommunity such as scheduled castes, scheduled tribes, linkages, attitude towards developmental minorities, varna categories, artisan group, programmes, and so on. Based on data fishing communities etc. would be taken up:.- collected in the field, a report of about 3000 words and an abstract of about 300 words were In the next phase of analysis, clustering·of prepared. In addition to this a computer format, traits, clustering of communities and which lists 730 ethnographic traits, was exploration of variations at state and regional prepared. Two volumes on Scheduled Castes level would be taken up. To this end, it was and Scheduled Tribes, and three volumes on all suggested that preliminary maps depicting the communities were printed and a two-volume distribution of traits may be prepared. annexure, listing communities, language tables, A second round of discussion was held in lists of synonyms, surnames, subgroups~ titles, October 1991 at the Centre for Ecological clans etc. Volumes on each State/Union Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore Territory are under preparation. A preliminary and a National Seminar on the Project is to be analysis of the computer format was made and held in January 1992 at New Qelhi. the results were used to indicate broad trends. It was then decided to undertake an in-depth analysis of the computer format in collaboration with the Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore. His earlier studies pioneered the Obituaries application of thermodynamic and statistical mechanical analysis to these materials. In the mid-sixties, recognising that the application of John Stuart Anderson was born in high resolution electron microscopy could on 9 January 1908. He was educated at Acton directly reveal the structures of non­ Technical College and the Imperial College of stoichiometric compounds, which could not Science, london where he took his doctorate be solved by other means, he carried out a degree in chemistry in 1931. He worked for a series of beautiful studies that to this day year at the University of Heidelberg under remains unsurpassed. This unique combination Prof. Walter Hieber as post-doctoral Fellow of thermodynamic and structural Viewpoints and later as demonstrator/assistant lecturer at allowed him to weld an emerging and the Imperial College from 1932-1938. He fragmented subject into a coherent science. moved to in 1938, accepting a post in the as a senior His many contributions to chemistry earned lecturer in inorganic chemistry. There he him numerous honours during his career. He embarked on the research that was to establish was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in him as a leading solid state chemist and 1953 and was awarded its Davy Medal in formulated the theme that permeated the rest 1973. He was elected an Honorary Fellow of of his life. He returned to Britain to become the Academy in 1978. Head of the Chemistry Division of the British Atomic Research Establishment at Harwell, Ranchhodji Dajibhai Desai passed away in where he shaped the programme of pure and the early hours of Saturday, 16 November applied inorganic chemical research and 1991. initiated work in high temperature chemistry Born on 4 May 1897 in Umarsadi in South and chemistry of radioactive elements. His Gujarat, he had his formal school education studies on uranium compounds were and at Bai Avabai High School, Valsad, obtaining remain classics of their type. a high rank at the Matriculation Examination of 1916; he continued his studies at the He returned to Australia in 1954 for '5 years Wilson College, Bombay, and the Indian to head the Department of Chemistry of the Institute of Science, Bangalore, where he University of Melbourne. He returned to obtained the M.Sc. Degree in chemistry in London in 1959 to become the Director of 1926, winning the R R Desai Gold Medal of the National Chemical Laboratory, Teddington, Bombay University. He taught for a while at and after four years moved to Oxford as the Wilson College, Bombay, and at M.s. Professor of inorganic chemistry, remaining University, Baroda, before proceeding to there until his retirement in 1975, when he London for higher studies as Sir Mangaldas moved to the University College of Wales, Natthubai Research Scholar. Aberystwyth, where he spent six years in the In 1928 he joined the Imperial College of Department of Chemistry as honorary Science and Technology, London, under late Professorial Fellow. His final move was to the Dr J F Thorpe, FRS, and obtained the D.Sc. Australia he loved, to the Australian National degree of the University of London in University, Canberra, where he joined the chemistry in 1931. Solid State Chemistry group associated with Prof. B G Hyde. He continued with active On his return to India he taught chemistry research in the laboratory until his final illness. at the Aligarh Muslim University and served He passed away on 25 December 1990 at as Professor of Dyestuff Technology in the Canberra. University Department of Chemical Technology, Bombay, and as Principal of the His great contributions were in the field of l.D. Arts College ilnd M.G. Science Institute, solid state chemistry. In the early years of the Ahmedabad. During his career as a teacher century, chemistry was largely a molecular and research for over four decades, science and it was generally taken as he was active in many fields in organic irrefutable that chemical compounds, solid or chemistry like (a) the strainless character of not, had fixed stoichiometric compositions. alkylcyclopentane and alkylcyclohexane rings Anderson broke down this rigidity in a number on the basis of valency deflexion hypothesis, of classical investigations on solids, which had (b) studies in Pechmann, Kostanecki, Fries and variable composition, now called non­ Friedel-Crafts reactions, (c) Jautomerism of stoichiometric compounds. heterotriads, (d) new methods for the synthesis of coumarins, chromones, xanthones, expansion of the Chemical Engineering Section quinolones, acritones, and phenanthridones, when the Department moved into its own (e) V-substitution in aromatic compounds, (f) building at Matunga in 1943, kept him busy for Vat-dyes from phenanthraquinone, (g) azoic the first few years. later, in association with the dyes using hydroxyketones and dihydro­ late Dr H L Roy, he took a prominent part in resorcinols as coupling components and (h) reorienting chemical engineering training fluorescent brightening agents. throughout the country. For research, he chose topics that had a bearing on industry, With his keen interest in applied chemistry, irrespective of whether the work would provide he also made significant contributions to the material for the publication of papers in subjects of azo-dyes, w~tting agents and scientific journals. fluorescent brightening agents. He established a lasting link between the He was elected a Fellow of the Academy in chemical industry and the university in many 1938. He was also awarded -the K G Naik ways. Eminent chemical engineers from industry Research Gold Medal of the Gujarat University, were invited as external examiners for the first the Indian National Science Academy Jubilee degree examination in chemical engineering, as Medal and the Acharya P C Ray Memorial well as for theses submitted for post-graduate lectureship and Medal of the Indian Chemical degrees and to give a series of lectures to Society. students on subjects of their specialization. He He was a great scholar of Sanskrit language visited various factories on request and advised and literature and was equally fond of English them as a consultant. In 1954 he joined the poetry and drama. Development Wing as Industrial Adviser (Chemicals) under the Ministry of Commerce Govind Pandurang Kane was born on 2 and Industry. He was promoted as Senior March 1911 in Dapoli in the Ratnagiri District Industrial Adviser (Chemicals) in 1957 and of . He had his early education in Deputy Director General (Chemicals) in 1963. Bombay where his father was a practising From 1965 until his retirement in March 1969, lawyer. He had his higher education at the he served with distinction as Officer on Special Royal Institute of Science and at the St. Duty in the Ministry of Industrial Development. Xavier's College, Bombay, from where he During all these years he played a conspicuous obtained his B.5e. degree in chemistry and part in the integrated development of chemical geology in 1931, passing with first class and engineering industries that helped the honours and distinction. He obtained the country to achieve self-suffiCiency with respect M.Sc. degree at the University of Bombay in to many products and paved the way for an 1934 for his research work in the Department export drive for non-traditional items. of General and Physical Chemistry at the He served as Chairman of various Indian Institute of Science winning the committees on alcohol, petrochemicals, Sud borough Medal. fertilizers, coke-oven by-products and vegetable oils. After retirement he worked as a Visiting. Learning of the exciting research Professor at the University of Pittsburgh (USA) investigations on combustion by W A Bone for a year. and his colleagues at the High Pressure Research laboratory of the Imperial College He was elected a Fellow of the Academy in in london, he applied for and was admitted 1943. He was a founder member and President for research under the guidance of Prof. Bone. of the Indian Institute of Chemical Engineers, a He obtained the Ph.D. degree of the Fellow of the Institute of Chemical Engineers, University of london and the D.I.e. of the London and its Vice-President; and a Fellow of Imperial College in 1936, with research on the the Institute of Fuels, london. He continued to spontaneous ignition under pressure of the be active after retirement, as a technical and simpler olefins in admixture with air. industrial consultant, and as a Chairman/ Director of several companies. He joined as Reader at the Chemical Engineering Department in Bombay University The foundations he laid for the chemical in May 1939 and became a Professor in the industry in the course of his association with same Department ten years later. In 1946 he national planning during the second, third and was promoted as the Director of the fourth five-year plans stand as monuments to Department of Chemical Technology for a brief his vision and sagacity. period. The reorganization of training, and the He passed away on 25 June 1991 at Bombay. Shankar Lal was born on June 25, 1923 in and Madras and took his BA (Hans.) degree Banaras, where he had his early education. in Physics from the University of Madras in He had his higher education at the Banaras 1928, obtaining his titular MA two years later. Hindu University where he obtained in 1941 After a brief period of research as a University his B.Se. degree in engineering with first class Scholar, he joined the India Meteorological honours and at the Indian Institute of Science, Department, as an Assistant Meteorologist in Bangalore, and the Imperial College of 1931. Science, London, where he obtained Diplomas In 1954, Prof. Carl G Rossby invited Sri in Aerodynamics, an M.Sc. degree in Ramaswamy to participate in the research engineering from the London University in activities at the Institute of Meteorology, 1949 and the PhD. degree from the California Stockholm. His work at Stockholm during that Institute of Technology in 1955. He was year was on the sub-tropical jet stream lecturer and Assistant Professor of Mechanical discovered during World War II. Engineering at the Banaras Hindu University from 1950-1958 and Professor of Mechanical On being elevated to the position of a Engineering at the Roorkee University from Director in 1956, that of a Deputy Director 1958-1978. He was the Director of the Indian General in 1959, and finally that of the Institute of Technology, Kharagpur from 1978- Director General in 1965, his administrative 1983. After his retirement in 1983, he served responsibilities became very heavy. In spite of as Adjunct Professor, Mechanical Engineering these, he continued his work on the Department, at the Naval Post-graduate School interaction between tropical and extra-tropical at Monterey, USA. He passed away at weather systems. It was due to his persistent Monterey on 25 September 1991. efforts that an international meteorological radio tele-type was established between Delhi He was elected a Fellow of the Academy and Melbourne in 1966. in 1974. His scientific contributions were in the fields of fluid mechanics, heat transfer and Ramaswamy's researches were mostly on solid mechanics. the various aspects of the Indian Monsoon, regional and global. His last contribution, published in 1987, when he was 80, is a large Polapragada Bhaskara Rama Murti was Monograph "Meteorological Aspects of Severe born on 11 November 1911 at Kaikavolu in Floods in India, 1923-1979" which deals with East Godavari District of Andhra Pradesh. He the different synoptic weather situations which had his higher education at Andhra University caused the severe floods, the rainfall amounts where he took his B.5c. (Hons.) degree in associated with each flood, and the effects of Chemical Technology and M.5c. and D.Se. those floods on the people as could be degrees in chemistry. He joined the J.V.D. gathered from official and newspaper reports. College of Science and Technology in 1936 After relinquishing his post as the Director and worked there till 1942, when he jOined General of the India Meteorological the Board of Scientific and Industrial Research, Department he registered as a post-graduate Delhi, as research chemist. From 1944, he student, at the age of 60, and obtained a served as Tinctorial Chemist to the Doctor's Degree a few years later. He Government of Madras (1944-1947); continued to do scientific work with financial Principal, Government Polytechnic (1947- assistance from the Council of Scientific and 1963); Professor of Chemistry, College of Industrial Research (CSIR). Jointly or singly he Engineering, Kakinada (1967-1969). published 22 scientific papers after his His main contributions were in plant retirement from Government Service, his last chemistry, waxes, resins, dyestuffs and tri­ publication being in 1987. terpenes. He was elected a Fellow of the Sincerity, devotion to duty, a sense of Academy in and a Fellow of the Royal 1944 justice and humility were some of the noble Institute of Chemistry, London, in He 1946. personal qualities of Dr C Ramaswamy. He passed away in December 1990. was elected a Fellow of the Academy in 1938. He passed away at Anand, Gujarat on 17 August 1991. Chandrasekhara Ramaswamy was born on 20 August 1907. He was educated at Calcutta He is survived by his wife and three sons. Pradip Ranjan Roy passed away on April development of mixed uranium-plutonium 21, 1991 at Bombay. An internationally known oxide fuel, popularly known as MOX fuel as metallurgist and a pioneer in the field- of an alternative to enriched uranium oxide fuel nuclear metallurgy, particularly plutonium for use in Tarapore Atomic Power Station and metallurgy, he was at the time of his death of mixed uranium-plutonium carbide fuel for Director, Materials Group, Bhabha Atomic the Fast Breeder Test Reactor at Kalpakkam Research Centre, Bombay. are outstanding contributions to the atomic energy programme. A mention must also be Born in 1936, he had a brilliant academic made to his equally important involvement in career, graduating with distinction in the design of the plutonium device for the Metallurgical Engineering from Bengal peaceful nuclear explosion experiment carried Engineering College, University of Calcutta. He out at Pokhran. He was also deeply involved joined the Atomic Energy Establishment, in the development of powder metallurgy in Trombay in 1958 and immediately got general and of nuclear metals in particular in involved in the metallurgical research and the country. development on plutonium. Plutonium, not present in nature, is produced only in an He was elected a Fellow of the Academy operating nuclear reactor. It is highly in 1983. He received the National radioactive and calls for complicated handling Metallurgists' Day Award and the Padma Shri techniques, with highly shielded and well­ in 1975 for his contributions to the peaceful contained operations. Mass criticality is nuclear explosion experiments, the Vasvik another dimension that one has to reckon with award in 1985-86 for his contributions to at every stage of its production, processing Materials Science and Technology and the Om and use. It was due to his unwavering Prakash Bhasin Foundation Award for energy 'determination and brilliance that he and his in 1988. He served as Vice-President and colleagues were able to achieve what they did President of the Powder Metallurgy in plutonium metallurgy and plutonium bearing Association of India. fuel fabrication. His death at the early age of 55 is deeply Among his various achievements in both mourned by a large circle of his friends, basic and applied plutonium metallurgy, colleagues and admirers. EdItor' Anna Mani Published by G. Snncvasan, EdItor of Pllbl!catJDM for the Indlal) Academy of SCIences, 8