Renowned astrophysicist Professor Shashikumar Madhusudan Chitre passes away at 84

A recipient of Padma Bhushan, he was a stalwart of the Indian astronomy community, particularly solar physics.

Astrophysicist Professor Shashikumar Madhusudan Chitre (Photo: Stargazing Mumbai)

Renowned astrophysicist Professor Shashikumar Madhusudan Chitre passed away on Monday, aged 84 years old. He was admitted to Kokilaben Ambani Hospital in Mumbai.

A recipient of Padma Bhushan, he was a stalwart of the Indian astronomy community, particularly solar physics. He retired as a senior professor from the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai, in 2001. He was the driving force behind the establishment of the University of Mumbai – Department of Atomic Energy Centre for Excellence in Basic Sciences (UM-DAE CEBS) in the Kalina campus of the university.

Prof. Chitre also served on the boards of the Nehru Centre trust and the JN Tata trust for several years. Passionate about science education and outreach, he gave a large number of lectures in schools and colleges. Incidentally, he was the voice behind the first-ever show in Mumbai’s iconic Nehru Planetarium, according to Arvind Paranjpye, the institute’s director.

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Prof Chitre was the former president of the Astronomical Society of India and a member of multiple committees which helped in shaping India’s science policies.