Prof Dadhich was unwell for past few days and was hospitalised according to Dr Ajit Kembhavi, former director and Emeritus Professor at IUCAA. (Express Photo)
Naresh Dadhich, one of India’s leading theoretical physicists who was widely recognised for his work on gravitation, black hole physics and cosmology, died Thursday in Beijing while on a lecture tour of China, his family said. He was 81.
Dadhich, one of the three founding members of Pune-based Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA) along with Jayant Narlikar and Ajit Kembhavi, had been unwell for the last few days, and had been hospitalised in Beijing, with the family preparing to bring him back early from the tour.
“My father had cardiac problems and I remember telling him a few hours before he passed away in the evening that we will work out ways for expediting his return to Pune,” his son Nishith said. Dadhich, who was director of IUCAA from 2003-09, was scheduled to return on November 19.
Born in a poor family in Rajasthan’s Churu district, Dadhich studied at a nearby village school, before he moved to Pilani and then to Pune for his PhD. Dadhich was associated with the Maths department of Pune University for 17 years, which were also the years of his research in general relativity, gravitation, black holes and other aspects of cosmology.
“Prof Dadhich was an internationally known general relativist and worked in various areas of gravitation theory. He has a great deal of research work to his credit, including the magnetic Penrose process. He worked right till the day before he passed away in Beijing, where he was visiting for a month for research collaboration and lectures,” his long-time colleague and distinguished astrophysicist Ajit Kembhavi said.
It was during his stint at Pune University that Dadhich got involved with Prof Yash Pal’s efforts to create an inter-university research centre. Dadhich and Kembhavi formed a formidable team with Jayant Narlikar to build Pune’s IUCAA. Narlikar was the first director of the institute, and was followed in this position by Dadhich and then Kembhavi.
“Jayant Narlikar wanted to move from TIFR Mumbai to Pune University, but in discussion with Naresh the idea emerged that there should be a new centre in Pune for all universities. That was quickly announced by the then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. Naresh acted as liaison between Pune University, Prof Yashpal in UGC and the Maharashtra government so that approval for IUCAA was obtained. He also worked hard to procure land for the centre on the Pune University campus,” Kembhavi said.
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News of Dadhich’s death came as a shock to the scientific community in Pune, particularly to IUCAA family, which was still coming to terms with the loss of the charismatic Narlikar six months ago. “He was engaged in serious research till his last breath, I have benefitted a lot from his guidance,” IUCAA’s director R Srianand said.
Nishith said his father loved to be among scientists and researchers, and talk about latest developments. “Post-retirement, my father was regularly invited to various universities across the world for lectures and talks about his research. He was now at Beijing Institute of Mathematical Sciences and Applications and was set to return to Pune on November 19. Just a few days ago he had complained of uneasiness and was later hospitalised,” Nishith said.
“We are in contact with the Indian Consulate in Beijing to get my father’s body back,” he said. Dadhich is survived by wife Sadhana, son Nishith and daughter Juee.
Prof Jayant Narlikar’s daughter Leelavati Narlikar, herself a mathematician and science writer, remembered Dadhich as a particularly kind and fun-loving person.
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“His science was, of course, beyond me, but he played a key role in founding IUCAA and further developed it after becoming its director. He was a close friend of my father’s, and I remember how, especially in the last few years, every visit from Prof Dadhich would bring a spark to my father’s eyes. I will miss him dearly. His passing is a great shock to us all. I remember him as a particularly kind and fun-loving person,” she told The Indian Express.
Tarun Souradeep, director of Raman Research Institute said Dadhich was the first researcher he had met after joining IUCAA for PhD. “He had driven me through the scenic NDA campus (in Pune). That was the start of our research careers and life together,” Prof Souradeep said.
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.
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