Roddam Narasimha

Roddam Narasimha was an eminent Indian scientist who made significant contributions to the fields of aerospace engineering and fluid dynamics. He was a professor of Aerospace Engineering at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) from 1962 to 1999, where he mentored many students and researchers. He also served as the director of the National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL) from 1984 to 1993, where he initiated several projects related to aircraft design, parallel computing, and atmospheric science. He was the chairman of the Engineering Mechanics Unit at Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR) from 2000 to 2014, where he continued his research on fluid mechanics and monsoon modelling. He was also a DST Year-of-Science Chair Professor at JNCASR and a Pratt & Whitney Chair in Science and Engineering at the University of Hyderabad. Narasimha was born on 20 July 1933 in Bangalore, Karnataka, India. He belonged to a Kannada family that traced its origins to Roddam, a village in the Anantapur district of Andhra Pradesh. His father, R.L. Narasimhaiah, was a professor of physics and a science writer in Kannada. His mother, Lakshmi Narasimhaiah, was a homemaker. Narasimha completed his schooling at Acharya Pathasala in Bangalore, where he developed an interest in fluid flows after seeing a Spitfire aircraft displayed at the Tata Institute (now IISc). He obtained his bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from University Visvesvaraya College of Engineering in Bangalore in 1953. He then joined IISc for his master's degree in engineering, where he worked with Satish Dhawan on the transition from laminar to turbulent flows. He completed his master's degree in 1955 and went to the United States for his PhD. Narasimha obtained his PhD in 1961 from the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), where he worked with Hans Liepmann on rarefied gas dynamics and supersonic flows. He also worked at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, where he studied shockwave structure and jet engine noise reduction. He returned to India in 1962 and joined IISc as a faculty member in the Department of Aerospace Engineering. He established a laboratory for hypersonic aerodynamics and conducted experiments on shock-boundary layer interactions, boundary layer receptivity, relaminarisation of turbulent flows, and fluid dynamics of clouds. He also developed theoretical models for turbulent shear flows, intermittency of turbulence, and self-preservation of wakes. Narasimha became the director of NAL in 1984 and initiated several projects related to aerospace technology and atmospheric science. He played a key role in the design and development of India's first indigenous light combat aircraft (LCA), Tejas. He also led the development of India's first parallel computer, Flosolver, which was used for solving fluid flow problems. He also started the civilian aircraft project Saras, which aimed to produce a multi-role light transport aircraft. He also established a Centre for Atmospheric Sciences at NAL, where he conducted research on monsoon dynamics, tropical convection, boundary layer meteorology, and climate change. Narasimha retired from NAL in 1993 and joined JNCASR as the chairman of the Engineering Mechanics Unit. He continued his research on fluid dynamics and monsoon modelling, using both experimental and computational methods. He also collaborated with researchers from various disciplines, such as mathematics, physics, biology, and geology. He also taught courses on fluid mechanics, turbulence, and history of science at JNCASR and the University of Hyderabad. Narasimha was a recipient of many awards and honors for his scientific achievements and contributions. He was awarded the Padma Vibhushan, India's second-highest civilian award, in 2013. He was also a Fellow of the Royal Society of London, the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the US National Academy of Engineering. He received the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize, the TWAS Prize, the Fazlur Rahman Khan Medal, the Ramanujan Medal, and the Jawaharlal Nehru Birth Centenary Award. He was also a Distinguished Alumnus of Caltech and IISc. Narasimha was married to Saroja Narasimha, a homemaker. They had one daughter, Maithreyi Narasimha, who is a professor of biology at TIFR Mumbai. Narasimha was known for his humility, generosity, and mentorship. He inspired many students and colleagues with his passion for science and curiosity for nature. He was also interested in the history and philosophy of science, especially in the Indian context. He wrote several books and articles on the scientific traditions of India and other civilizations. Narasimha passed away on 14 December 2020 in Bangalore, Karnataka, India. He suffered a brain hemorrhage following an unrelated surgery. He was cremated at the Hebbal Crematorium in Bangalore. He is survived by his wife, daughter, son-in-law, and two grandchildren. His death was mourned by the scientific community and the public as a great loss for India and the world.