Astrophysicist Jayant Narlikar Turns 80: ‘Despite excellent work at many labs, a Nobel Prize in science eludes India since 1930’

Jayant Narlikar, professor emeritus at the Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA) and one of the most famous residents of the city, turned 80 on Thursday.

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Jayant Narlikar (third from left) with his family at the Yosemite National Park in California. (Photo courtesy: Narlikar family)

Jayant Narlikar, professor emeritus at the Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA) and one of the most famous residents of the city, turned 80 on Thursday. Currently in the United States with his family, Narlikar, the founder-director of IUCAA, said there was still a lot of work that he wanted to do, if his body and mind cooperated.

In a telephonic interview with The Indian Express, Narlikar said he was deeply concerned about the fact that despite excellent work at many laboratories in the country, no scientist from India had won a Nobel Prize since 1930, when it was awarded to physicist C V Raman.

“This is a reason to worry as plenty of good work is taking place at some of the laboratories in India. There should be some effort to publicise it internationally,” Narlikar said. “We do not seem to be pushing our work at the international level as much as we should”.

Narlikar, who did pioneering research in astronomy and cosmology, including work on the origins of the universe, said India had plenty of opportunities to participate in cutting edge scientific research at the global level. “India is a partner in various international-level research projects, including LIGO (a project to detect and measure gravitational waves) and ITER (a project to build a fusion nuclear reactor). The country’s role in the Thirty Metre Telescope project is also significant. This is an ambitious project, in which a new class of extremely large telescopes will allow us to see deeper into space and observe cosmic objects with better sensitivity,” he said.

Narlikar said his field — astronomy and cosmology — was becoming more interesting in recent years, and he was happy to see many young students in the country take up this discipline. “… Several IISERs have come up and a lot is being done to attract young talent to basic sciences. If our youngsters work with dedication, there is a lot to do and achieve,” he said.

Narlikar celebrated his birthday with his two older daughters, Geeta and Girija, in San Francisco. His youngest daughter Leelavati, a scientist at the city-based National Chemical Laboratory, said the family in the city was waiting for him to return. “We celebrated earlier… while my dad has slowed down physically, he is mentally alert and continues to write stories to popularise science. I still remember my favourite stories as a child and now he writes new ones for his granddaughters,” said Leelavati.

Meanwhile, the scientific community in the city wished the distinguished scientist a long life and good health. IUCAA scientists posted tweets congratulating Narlikar on turning 80. “Welcoming Jayant to his ‘80s with a star-studded picture from the late 80’s,’’ tweeted IUCAA scientist Tarun Souradeep, with a picture of Narlikar from the late 1980s with radio astronomer Govind Swarup and others.

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Somak Raychaudhary, director of IUCAA, also greeted Narlikar, describing him as the most famous of Indian astrophysicists. He recalled in his tweet how during a function a few years ago, when Raychaudhary handed a ceremonial coconut to him, Narlikar had quipped that his name also meant ‘he who holds a coconut’.

Arvind Paranjpye, director of Nehru Planetarium in Mumbai, put up a Facebook page for scientists to greet Narlikar. “He has inspired so many people in his lifetime but most may not remember his birthday. So, we put up the Facebook page,” said Paranjpye, who worked with Narlikar for more than 20 years. “I still remember when IUCAA was being built, he first set up an accommodation for the staff near the workplace, so that it could save travel time. Naturally, he demanded the best from everyone who worked with him,” said Paranjpye.

Anuradha Mascarenhas

Anuradha Mascarenhas is a Senior Editor at The Indian Express, based in Pune. With a career spanning three decades, she is one of the most respected voices in Indian journalism regarding healthcare, science and environment and research developments. She also takes a keen interest in covering women's issues . Professional Background Education: A gold medalist in Communication and Journalism from Savitribai Phule Pune University and a Master’s degree in Literature. Author: She authored the biography At The Wheel Of Research, which chronicles the life and work of Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, the former Chief Scientist at the WHO. Key Focus: She combines scientific accuracy with storytelling, translating complex medical research into compelling public and human-interest narratives. Awards and Recognition Anuradha has won several awards including the Press Council of India's national award for excellence in journalism under the gender based reporting category in 2019 and the Laadli Media award (gender sensitivity -2024). A recipient of the Lokmat journalism award (gender category-2022), she was also shortlisted for the RedInk awards for excellence in journalism-2021. Her debut book At The Wheel Of Research, an exclusive biography of Dr Soumya Swaminathan the inaugural chief scientist of World Health Organisation was also nominated in the Popular Choice Category of JK Paper AUTHER awards. She has also secured competitive fellowships including the Laadli Media Fellowship (2022), the Survivors Against TB – New Research in TB Media Fellowship (2023) and is part of the prestigious 2025 India Cohort of the WomenLift Health Leadership Journey.” Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) 1. Cancer & Specialized Medical Care "Tata Memorial finds way to kill drug-resistant cancer cells" (Nov 26, 2025): Reporting on a breakthrough for triple-negative breast cancer, one of the most aggressive forms of the disease. Discipline, diet and purpose; How a 97-year-old professor defies ageing'' (Nov 15, 2025) Report about Prof Gururaj Mutalik, the first Head of Department at Pune's B J Government Medical College who at 97 credits his longevity to healthy habits and a strong sense of purpose. 2. Environmental Health (The "Breathless Pune" Series) Long-term exposure even to 'moderate' air leads to chronic heart, lung, kidney issues" (Nov 26, 2025): Part of an investigative series highlighting that even "safe" pollution levels are damaging to vital organs. "For every 10 µg/m3 increase in PM2.5 level, there was 6-8% jump in medicine sales" (Nov 23, 2025): Using commercial data to prove the direct link between air quality and respiratory illnesses in Pune. 3. Lifestyle & Wellness News "They didn't let cancer, diabetes and heart disease stop them from travelling" (Dec 22, 2025): A collaborative piece featuring survivors who share practical tips for traveling with chronic conditions. At 17, his BP shot up to 200/120 mmHG; Lancet study flags why child and teen hypertension doubled between 2000 and 2020'' (Nov 12,2025)--A report that focusses on 17-year-old-boy's hypertensive crisis and reflects the rising global trend of high blood pressure among children and adolescents. 4. Scientific Recognition & Infrastructure For promoting sci-comm, gender diversity: IUCAA woman prof highlighted in Nature" (Nov 25, 2025): Covering the global recognition of Indian women scientists in gender studies and physics. Pune researchers find a spiral galaxy like the Milky Way from early universe'' (December 3, 2025)- A report on how Indian researchers discovered a massive galaxy that existed when the universe was just 1.5 billion years old , one of the earliest to have been observed so far. Signature Beat: Health, Science & Women in Leadership Anuradha is known for her COVID-19 reportage, where she was one of the first journalists to provide detailed insights into the Covishield and Covaxin trials. She has a dedicated interest in gender diversity in health and science, often profiling women researchers who are breaking the "leaky pipeline" in STEM fields. Her writing style is scrupulous, often featuring interviews with top-tier scientists and health experts from various institutions. ... Read More

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