Mambillikalathil Govind Kumar Menon (28 August 1928 – 22 November 2016) also known as M. G. K. Menon, was a

physicist A physicist is a scientist who specializes in the field of physics, which encompasses the interactions of matter and energy at all length and time scales in the physical universe. Physicists generally are interested in the root or ultimate cau ...

and policy maker from India. He had a prominent role in the development of science and technology in India over four decades. One of his most important contributions was nurturing the

Tata Institute of Fundamental Research Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) is a public deemed research university located in Mumbai, India that is dedicated to basic research in mathematics and the sciences. It is a Deemed University and works under the umbrella of the ...

Mumbai Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — List of renamed Indian cities and states#Maharashtra, the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' fin ...

, which his mentor Homi J. Bhabha founded in 1945. Born in

Mangalore Mangalore (), officially known as Mangaluru, is a major port city of the Indian state of Karnataka. It is located between the Arabian Sea and the Western Ghats about west of Bangalore, the state capital, 20 km north of Karnataka–Ke ...

, he attended the

University of Bristol , mottoeng = earningpromotes one's innate power (from Horace, ''Ode 4.4'') , established = 1595 – Merchant Venturers School1876 – University College, Bristol1909 – received royal charter , type ...

for his PhD in elementary

particle physics Particle physics or high energy physics is the study of fundamental particles and forces that constitute matter and radiation. The fundamental particles in the universe are classified in the Standard Model as fermions (matter particles) an ...

under the guidance of Nobel Laureate Cecil F. Powell. He joined the TIFR in 1955. He undertook experiments with

cosmic rays Cosmic rays are high-energy particles or clusters of particles (primarily represented by protons or atomic nuclei) that move through space at nearly the speed of light. They originate from the Sun, from outside of the Solar System in our ow ...

to explore the properties of fundamental particles. He was actively involved in setting up balloon flight experiments, as well as deep underground experiments with cosmic ray

neutrinos A neutrino ( ; denoted by the Greek letter ) is a fermion (an elementary particle with spin of ) that interacts only via the weak interaction and gravity. The neutrino is so named because it is electrically neutral and because its rest mass is ...

in the mines at Kolar Gold Fields. He was the Director of the

(1966–1975), President of the

Indian Statistical Institute Indian Statistical Institute (ISI) is a higher education and research institute which is recognized as an Institute of National Importance by the 1959 act of the Indian parliament. It grew out of the Statistical Laboratory set up by Prasanta ...

, the Vikram Sarabhai Fellow of the Indian Space Research Organisation, President of the

National Academy of Sciences, India The National Academy of Sciences, India, established in 1930, is the oldest science academy in India. It is located in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh. Prof. Meghnad Saha was the founder president. Fellows *Suddhasatwa Basu * Sudha Bhattacharya * Ch ...

, Chairman Board of Governors,

Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay The Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT Bombay or IITB) is a public research university and technical institute in Powai, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. It is considered as one of the best engineering universities in India and is top rank ...

and chairman Board of Governors of the

Indian Institute of Information Technology, Allahabad The Indian Institute of Information Technology, Allahabad (IIIT-Allahabad), is a public university located in Jhalwa, Allahabad (Prayagraj), in Uttar Pradesh. It is one of the twenty-five Indian Institutes of Information Technology listed by t ...

. He won the

Abdus Salam Mohammad Abdus Salam Salam adopted the forename "Mohammad" in 1974 in response to the anti-Ahmadiyya decrees in Pakistan, similarly he grew his beard. (; ; 29 January 192621 November 1996) was a Punjabi Pakistani theoretical physicist and a ...

Award, and was a member of the

Pontifical Academy of Sciences The Pontifical Academy of Sciences ( it, Pontificia accademia delle scienze, la, Pontificia Academia Scientiarum) is a Academy of sciences, scientific academy of the Vatican City, established in 1936 by Pope Pius XI. Its aim is to promote the ...

. He was one of the most prominent scientists from the state of Kerala and was elected a

Fellow of the Royal Society Fellowship of the Royal Society (FRS, ForMemRS and HonFRS) is an award granted by the judges of the Royal Society of London to individuals who have made a "substantial contribution to the improvement of natural knowledge, including mathemat ...

in May 1970. The asteroid 7564 Gokumenon was named in his honour in late 2008.

Early life and education

M. G. K. Menon was educated at Jaswant College,

Jodhpur Jodhpur (; ) is the second-largest city in the Indian state of Rajasthan and officially the second metropolitan city of the state. It was formerly the seat of the princely state of Jodhpur State. Jodhpur was historically the capital of the ...

, and the Royal Institute of Science, Bombay (now called The Institute of Science, Mumbai), before he moved to the

for his PhD in elementary

under the guidance of Nobel Laureate Cecil F. Powell in 1953.

Career

Menon joined

in 1955 "essentially because of Bhabha", and the association lasted nearly five decades. He became the director of the institute in 1966, at the age of 38, following Bhabha's untimely death. In fact, Menon began handling the affairs of the institute ever since he was 33, because of Bhabha's increasing involvement with the country's nascent atomic energy programme. Menon was the chairman of the ISRO in 1972. He was a member of the Planning Commission (1982–1989), Scientific Adviser to the Prime Minister (1986–1989) and Vice-President, Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) (1989–1990). Menon was elected as a

Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha A Member of Parliament in the Rajya Sabha ( abbreviated: MP) is the representative of the Indian states to the one of the two houses of the Parliament of India (Rajya Sabha). Rajya Sabha MPs are elected by the electoral college of the elect ...

during 1990–96. In 1989, then Prime Minister of India,

Vishwanath Pratap Singh Vishwanath Pratap Singh (25 June 1931 – 27 November 2008), shortened to V. P. Singh, was an Indian politician who was the 7th Prime Minister of India from 1989 to 1990 and the 41st Raja Bahadur of Manda. He is India's only prime minister ...

appointed him as the Minister of State for Science, Technology and Education.

Awards and recognition

* He won the

Award * Special Awards: He won the

Padmasri Padma Shri (IAST: ''padma śrī''), also spelled Padma Shree, is the fourth-highest civilian award of the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan. Instituted on 2 January 1954, the award is conferre ...

in 1961, Padmabhushan in 1968 and

Padma Vibhushan The Padma Vibhushan ("Lotus Decoration") is the second-highest civilian award of the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna. Instituted on 2 January 1954, the award is given for "exceptional and distinguished service". All persons without ...

in 1985. * The asteroid 7564 Gokumenon was named in his honour in late 2008.

References

External links

Article by Menon: Impact of Advances in science and new technologies on societyArticle on Menon
for the WGBH series, War and Peace in the Nuclear Age *Activists Condemn Gujarat Violence, Screen New Documentar

{{DEFAULTSORT:Menon, Mambillikalathil Govind Kumar 1928 births 2016 deaths 20th-century Indian physicists Scientists from Mangalore People from Ottapalam Fellows of the Indian National Science Academy Fellows of The National Academy of Sciences, India Fellows of the Royal Society Foreign Members of the USSR Academy of Sciences Foreign Members of the Russian Academy of Sciences Alumni of the University of Bristol Recipients of the Padma Vibhushan in civil service Recipients of the Padma Bhushan in medicine Recipients of the Padma Shri in science & engineering Janata Dal politicians Rajya Sabha members from Rajasthan 21st-century Indian physicists