Jayant V. Narlikar
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Jayant Vishnu Narlikar (19 July 1938 – 20 May 2025) was an Indian astrophysicist who performed research on
alternative cosmology A non-standard cosmology is any physical cosmological model of the universe that was, or still is, proposed as an alternative to the then-current standard model of cosmology. The term ''non-standard'' is applied to any theory that does not confor ...
. He was also an author who wrote
textbook A textbook is a book containing a comprehensive compilation of content in a branch of study with the intention of explaining it. Textbooks are produced to meet the needs of educators, usually at educational institutions, but also of learners ( ...
s on cosmology,
popular science Popular science (also called pop-science or popsci) is an interpretation of science intended for a general audience. While science journalism focuses on recent scientific developments, popular science is more broad ranging. It may be written ...
books, and
science fiction Science fiction (often shortened to sci-fi or abbreviated SF) is a genre of speculative fiction that deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts. These concepts may include information technology and robotics, biological manipulations, space ...
novels and short stories. Narlikar studied at
Banaras Hindu University Banaras Hindu University (BHU), formerly Benares Hindu University, is a collegiate, central, and research university located in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India, and founded in 1916. The university incorporated the Central Hindu College, ...
and
Cambridge University The University of Cambridge is a Public university, public collegiate university, collegiate research university in Cambridge, England. Founded in 1209, the University of Cambridge is the List of oldest universities in continuous operation, wo ...
, where he obtained his PhD in 1963 working with
Fred Hoyle Sir Fred Hoyle (24 June 1915 – 20 August 2001) was an English astronomer who formulated the theory of stellar nucleosynthesis and was one of the authors of the influential B2FH paper, B2FH paper. He also held controversial stances on oth ...
. After postdoctoral work in Cambridge, in 1972 he was appointed a professor at the
Tata Institute of Fundamental Research Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) is a leading research Institute under the Department of Atomic Energy of the Government of India. It is a public deemed university located at Navy Nagar, Colaba in Mumbai. It also has a centres in ...
. In 1988, he became the first director of the
Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics The Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA) is an autonomous institution set up by the University Grants Commission of India to promote nucleation and growth of active groups in astronomy and astrophysics in Indian unive ...
(IUCAA).


Early life

Narlikar was born in
Kolhapur Kolhapur () is a city on the banks of the Panchganga River in the southern part of the Indian state of Maharashtra. Kolhapur is one of the most significant cities in South Maharashtra and has been a hub of historical, religious, and cultural a ...
, India, on 19 July 1938, into an academic family. His father,
Vishnu Vasudev Narlikar Vishnu Vasudev Narlikar (26 September 1908 – 1 April 1991) was an Indian physicist specializing in general relativity. He is considered "the doyen of General Relativity in India." The Centre for Theoretical Physics, Jamia Millia Islamia has ...
, was a mathematician and theoretical physicist who was a professor and head of department at
Banaras Hindu University Banaras Hindu University (BHU), formerly Benares Hindu University, is a collegiate, central, and research university located in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India, and founded in 1916. The university incorporated the Central Hindu College, ...
(BHU), Varanasi. His mother, Sumati Narlikar, was a scholar of
Sanskrit Sanskrit (; stem form ; nominal singular , ,) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in northwest South Asia after its predecessor languages had Trans-cultural ...
. His maternal uncle, V. S. Huzurbazar, was a statistician. Narlikar went to school at Central Hindu College (now Central Hindu Boys School) in
Varanasi Varanasi (, also Benares, Banaras ) or Kashi, is a city on the Ganges river in northern India that has a central place in the traditions of pilgrimage, death, and mourning in the Hindu world.* * * * The city has a syncretic tradition of I ...
. He then studied at BHU, where he received a
Bachelor of Science A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, B.S., B.Sc., SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree that is awarded for programs that generally last three to five years. The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Scienc ...
degree in 1957. He continued his education at
Cambridge University The University of Cambridge is a Public university, public collegiate university, collegiate research university in Cambridge, England. Founded in 1209, the University of Cambridge is the List of oldest universities in continuous operation, wo ...
, where he was a member of
Fitzwilliam College Fitzwilliam College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England. The college has origins from 1869, with the foundation of the Non-Collegiate Students Board, a venture intended to offer academically excellent students of all ...
(as his father had been). He completed the
mathematical tripos The Mathematical Tripos is the mathematics course that is taught in the Faculty of Mathematics, University of Cambridge, Faculty of Mathematics at the University of Cambridge. Origin In its classical nineteenth-century form, the tripos was a di ...
in 1959, for which he was awarded a
Bachelor of Arts A Bachelor of Arts (abbreviated B.A., BA, A.B. or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is the holder of a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the liberal arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts deg ...
degree in mathematics and was
Senior Wrangler The Senior Wrangler is the top mathematics undergraduate at the University of Cambridge in England, a position which has been described as "the greatest intellectual achievement attainable in Britain". Specifically, it is the person who achiev ...
. This degree was converted to an
Oxbridge MA In the universities of Oxford, Cambridge, and Dublin, Bachelors of Arts (BAs) are promoted to the rank of Master of Arts (MA), typically upon application after three or four years after graduation. No further examination or study is required for ...
in 1964, without further study.


Career

Narlikar began his research career as a
doctoral student A doctorate (from Latin ''doctor'', meaning "teacher") or doctoral degree is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities and some other educational institutions, derived from the ancient formalism ''Licentiate (degree), licentia docendi' ...
in theoretical cosmology, under the guidance of
Fred Hoyle Sir Fred Hoyle (24 June 1915 – 20 August 2001) was an English astronomer who formulated the theory of stellar nucleosynthesis and was one of the authors of the influential B2FH paper, B2FH paper. He also held controversial stances on oth ...
in Cambridge. He was awarded a
Doctor of Philosophy A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, DPhil; or ) is a terminal degree that usually denotes the highest level of academic achievement in a given discipline and is awarded following a course of Postgraduate education, graduate study and original resear ...
degree in 1963. He was then a
postdoctoral fellow A postdoctoral fellow, postdoctoral researcher, or simply postdoc, is a person professionally conducting research after the completion of their doctoral studies (typically a PhD). Postdocs most commonly, but not always, have a temporary academ ...
at King's College in Cambridge. In 1966, Hoyle established the Institute of Theoretical Astronomy in Cambridge; Narlikar was a founding member of the institute, while remaining a fellow at King's College. A dispute with university leadership led Hoyle to resign in 1972, and it was decided that his institute would merge into the
Institute of Astronomy, Cambridge The Institute of Astronomy (IoA) is the largest of the three astronomy departments in the University of Cambridge, and one of the largest astronomy sites in the United Kingdom. Around 180 academics, postdocs, visitors and assistant staff work ...
. Narlikar left Cambridge that year, returning to India as a professor at the
Tata Institute of Fundamental Research Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) is a leading research Institute under the Department of Atomic Energy of the Government of India. It is a public deemed university located at Navy Nagar, Colaba in Mumbai. It also has a centres in ...
in
Mumbai Mumbai ( ; ), also known as Bombay ( ; its official name until 1995), is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra. Mumbai is the financial capital and the most populous city proper of India with an estimated population of 12 ...
, where he led its
theoretical astrophysics Astrophysics is a science that employs the methods and principles of physics and chemistry in the study of astronomical objects and phenomena. As one of the founders of the discipline, James Keeler, said, astrophysics "seeks to ascertain the ...
group. In 1981, Narlikar became a founding member of the
World Cultural Council The World Cultural Council is an international organization whose goals are to promote cultural values, goodwill and philanthropy among individuals. The organization founded in 1982 and based in Mexico, has held a yearly award ceremony since 198 ...
. In 1988, he was appointed the founding director of the
Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics The Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA) is an autonomous institution set up by the University Grants Commission of India to promote nucleation and growth of active groups in astronomy and astrophysics in Indian unive ...
(IUCAA) in Pune. From 1994–1997, he was the president of the
International Astronomical Union The International Astronomical Union (IAU; , UAI) is an international non-governmental organization (INGO) with the objective of advancing astronomy in all aspects, including promoting astronomical research, outreach, education, and developmen ...
commission for cosmology. The
National Council of Educational Research and Training National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) () is an autonomous organisation of Ministry of Education, the Government of India. Established in 1961, it is a literary, scientific and charitable Society under the Societies Reg ...
appointed Narlikar as chairperson of its committee responsible for developing textbooks in science and mathematics. Narlikar publicly criticised
pseudoscience Pseudoscience consists of statements, beliefs, or practices that claim to be both scientific and factual but are incompatible with the scientific method. Pseudoscience is often characterized by contradictory, exaggerated or unfalsifiable cl ...
, including
astrology Astrology is a range of Divination, divinatory practices, recognized as pseudoscientific since the 18th century, that propose that information about human affairs and terrestrial events may be discerned by studying the apparent positions ...
, arguing instead for
evidence-based Evidence-based practice is the idea that occupational practices ought to be based on scientific evidence. The movement towards evidence-based practices attempts to encourage and, in some instances, require professionals and other decision-makers ...
thinking.


Research

Narlikar's research involved
Mach's principle In theoretical physics, particularly in discussions of gravitation theories, Mach's principle (or Mach's conjecture) is the name given by Albert Einstein to an imprecise hypothesis often credited to the physicist and philosopher Ernst Mach. The ...
,
quantum cosmology Quantum cosmology is the attempt in theoretical physics to develop a quantum theory of the universe. This approach attempts to answer open questions of classical physical cosmology, particularly those related to the first phases of the universe. ...
, and
action-at-a-distance Action at a distance is the concept in physics that an object's motion can be affected by another object without the two being in physical contact; that is, it is the concept of the non-local interaction of objects that are separated in space. C ...
physics. Dissatisfied with the standard
Big Bang The Big Bang is a physical theory that describes how the universe expanded from an initial state of high density and temperature. Various cosmological models based on the Big Bang concept explain a broad range of phenomena, including th ...
model of cosmology, Narilkar investigated alternative models, a field known as
non-standard cosmology A non-standard cosmology is any physical cosmological model of the universe that was, or still is, proposed as an alternative to the then-current standard model of cosmology. The term ''non-standard'' is applied to any theory that does not confor ...
. With
Fred Hoyle Sir Fred Hoyle (24 June 1915 – 20 August 2001) was an English astronomer who formulated the theory of stellar nucleosynthesis and was one of the authors of the influential B2FH paper, B2FH paper. He also held controversial stances on oth ...
, he proposed a
conformal gravity Conformal gravity refers to gravity theories that are invariant under conformal transformations in the Riemannian geometry sense; more accurately, they are invariant under Weyl transformations g_\rightarrow\Omega^2(x)g_ where g_ is the metric ten ...
model now known as Hoyle–Narlikar theory, which attempted to produce an alternative theory of gravity that is consistent with
Mach's principle In theoretical physics, particularly in discussions of gravitation theories, Mach's principle (or Mach's conjecture) is the name given by Albert Einstein to an imprecise hypothesis often credited to the physicist and philosopher Ernst Mach. The ...
. It proposes that the inertial mass of a particle is a function of the masses of all other particles, multiplied by a coupling constant, which is a function of
cosmic time Cosmic time, or cosmological time, is the time coordinate used in the Big Bang models of physical cosmology. This concept of time avoids some issues related to relativity by being defined within a solution to the equations of general relativity wid ...
. The theory was not accepted by mainstream cosmology. Narlikar collaborated with other critics of Big Bang cosmology, including
Halton Arp Halton Christian "Chip" Arp (March 21, 1927 – December 28, 2013) was an American astronomer. He is remembered for his 1966 book ''Atlas of Peculiar Galaxies'', which catalogued unusual-looking galaxies and presented their images. Arp was als ...
,
Geoffrey Burbidge Geoffrey Ronald Burbidge (24 September 1925 – 26 January 2010) was an English astronomy professor and theoretical astrophysicist, most recently at the University of California, San Diego. He was married to astrophysicist Margaret Burbidge ...
, Hoyle and
Chandra Wickramasinghe Nalin Chandra Wickramasinghe (born 20 January 1939) is a Sri Lankan-born British mathematician, astronomer and astrobiologist of Sinhalese ethnicity. His research interests include the interstellar medium, infrared astronomy, light scattering ...
. In 1993, Hoyle, Burbidge and Narlikar proposed the quasi-steady state cosmological model. That model was incompatible with the accelerating expansion of the Universe, discovered in 1997, so Narilkar proposed another model in 2002. These
alternative cosmology A non-standard cosmology is any physical cosmological model of the universe that was, or still is, proposed as an alternative to the then-current standard model of cosmology. The term ''non-standard'' is applied to any theory that does not confor ...
models did not receive widespread support. Narlikar worked with Wickramasinghe, Hoyle and other collaborators on a
high-altitude balloon High-altitude balloons or stratostats are usually uncrewed balloons typically filled with helium or hydrogen and released into the stratosphere, generally attaining between above sea level. In 2013, a balloon named BS 13-08 reached a record alti ...
flight that collected samples of microorganisms from the
stratosphere The stratosphere () is the second-lowest layer of the atmosphere of Earth, located above the troposphere and below the mesosphere. The stratosphere is composed of stratified temperature zones, with the warmer layers of air located higher ...
, at altitudes up to 41 km.


Personal life

Narlikar married Mangala Narlikar (née Rajwade), a mathematics researcher and professor. The couple had three daughters: Geeta, a biomedical researcher at the
University of California, San Francisco The University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in San Francisco, California, United States. It is part of the University of California system and is dedic ...
, Girija and Leelavati who both work in computer science. He was the uncle of
Amrita Narlikar Amrita Narlikar is an academic specializing in international relations, international negotiations, the political economy of international trade, and the role of rising powers in global politics. Career Amrita Narlikar was awarded her MPhil and D ...
, a social sciences academic at Cambridge University. His wife, Mangala, died on 17 July 2023. Narlikar died on 20 May 2025.


Honours

Narlikar received many national and international awards and honorary doctorates. India's second-highest civilian honour,
Padma Vibhushan The Padma Vibhushan ( , lit. "Lotus Grandeur") 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 w ...
, was awarded to him in 2004 for his research work. Prior to this, in 1965, he was conferred
Padma Bhushan The Padma Bhushan (IAST: ''Padma Bhūṣaṇa'', lit. 'Lotus Decoration') is the third-highest civilian award in the Republic of India, preceded by the Bharat Ratna and the Padma Vibhushan and followed by the Padma Shri. Instituted on 2 Januar ...
. He was awarded 'Rashtra Bhushan' in 1981 by
FIE Foundation FIE Foundation is a charity trust established in 1970, belongs to 'Fie Group of Industries' Ichalkaranji, in Maharashtra State of India. Background Mr. P. D. Kulkarni ( Panditkaka Daji Kulkarni), The Chairman of FIE Group, who was also the tru ...
,
Ichalkaranji Ichalkaranji ( t͡səlkəɾəɳd͡ʒiː is a city in Kolhapur District, Maharashtra, India. It is situated at the bank of the Panchganga River. History As described by Horace George Franks in the book ''The Story of Ichalkaranji'' (1929), ...
. He received Maharashtra Bhushan Award for the year 2010. He was a recipient of
Bhatnagar Award Bhatnagar is a surname native to India, prevalent mainly among the Hindu Kayasthas. Notable people with the surname * Arun Bhatnagar, former Indian Administrative Service officer * Arvind Bhatnagar (1936–2006), Indian astronomer; founder-direct ...
, M.P. Birla Award, and the
Prix Jules Janssen The Prix Jules Janssen is the highest award of the Société astronomique de France (SAF), the French astronomical society. This annual prize is given to a professional French astronomer or to an astronomer of another nationality in recognition ...
of the
Société astronomique de France The Société astronomique de France (SAF; ), the France, French astronomical society, is a non-profit association in the public interest organized under French law (Association loi de 1901). Founded by astronomer Camille Flammarion in 1887, its ...
(French Astronomical Society). He was an Associate of the
Royal Astronomical Society of London The Royal Astronomical Society (RAS) is a learned society and charity that encourages and promotes the study of astronomy, solar-system science, geophysics and closely related branches of science. Its headquarters are in Burlington House, on Pi ...
, and a Fellow of the three Indian National Science Academies and the
Third World Academy of Sciences The World Academy of Sciences for the advancement of science in developing countries (TWAS) is a merit-based science academy established for developing countries, uniting more than 1,400 scientists in some 100 countries. Its principal aim is t ...
. Apart from his scientific research, Narlikar was well known as a communicator of science through his books, articles, and radio and television programmes. For these efforts, he was honoured in 1996 by
UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...
with the
Kalinga Prize The Kalinga Prize for the Popularization of Science is an award given by UNESCO for exceptional skill in popularization of science, presenting scientific ideas to lay people. It was created in 1952, following a donation from Biju Patnaik, Founder ...
. He was featured on
Carl Sagan Carl Edward Sagan (; ; November 9, 1934December 20, 1996) was an American astronomer, planetary scientist and science communicator. His best known scientific contribution is his research on the possibility of extraterrestrial life, including e ...
's TV show '' Cosmos: A Personal Voyage'' in the late 1980s. In 1989, he received the Atmaram Award by Central Hindi Directorate. He received the Indira Gandhi Award of the
Indian National Science Academy The Indian National Science Academy (INSA) is a national academy in New Delhi New Delhi (; ) is the Capital city, capital of India and a part of the Delhi, National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT). New Delhi is the seat of all three b ...
in 1990. He also served on the Physical Sciences jury for the
Infosys Prize The Infosys Prize is an annual award granted to scientists, researchers, engineers and social scientists of Indian origin (not necessarily born in India) by the Infosys Science Foundation and ranks among the highest monetary awards for researc ...
in 2009. In 2014, he received a
Sahitya Akademi Award The Sahitya Akademi Award is a literary honour in India, which the Sahitya Akademi, India's National Academy of Letters, annually confers on writers of the most outstanding books of literary merit published in any of the 22 languages of the ...
for his autobiography in Marathi, ''Chaar Nagarantale Maze Vishwa''. He presided over the 94th
Akhil Bharatiya Marathi Sahitya Sammelan Akhil Bharatiya Marathi Sahitya Sammelan (All India Marathi Literary Conference) is an annual conference for literary discussions by Marathi writers. Marathi is the official language of Maharashtra State. The first Marathi Sahitya Sammelan was ...
held at
Nashik Nashik, formerly Nasik, is a city in the northern region of the Indian state of Maharashtra situated on the banks of the river Godavari, about northeast of the state capital Mumbai. Nashik is one of the Hindu pilgrimage sites of the Kumbh ...
in January 2021. In 1960, he won the
Tyson Medal The Tyson Medal is a prize awarded for the best performance in subjects relating to astronomy at the University of Cambridge, England. It is awarded annually for achievement in the examinations for Part III of the Mathematical Tripos when there i ...
for astronomy. During his doctoral studies at Cambridge, he won the
Smith's Prize Smith's Prize was the name of each of two prizes awarded annually to two research students in mathematics and theoretical physics at the University of Cambridge from 1769. Following the reorganization in 1998, they are now awarded under the names ...
in 1962.


Books

Besides scientific papers and books and popular science literature, Narlikar wrote science fiction, novels, and short stories in English,
Hindi Modern Standard Hindi (, ), commonly referred to as Hindi, is the Standard language, standardised variety of the Hindustani language written in the Devanagari script. It is an official language of India, official language of the Government ...
, and
Marathi Marathi may refer to: *Marathi people, an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group of Maharashtra, India **Marathi people (Uttar Pradesh), the Marathi people in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh *Marathi language, the Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Mar ...
. He was also the consultant for the Science and Mathematics textbooks of NCERT (
National Council of Educational Research and Training National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) () is an autonomous organisation of Ministry of Education, the Government of India. Established in 1961, it is a literary, scientific and charitable Society under the Societies Reg ...
, India).


Non-fiction

In English: *Facts and Speculations in Cosmology, with G. Burbridge, Cambridge University Press 2008, *Current Issues in Cosmology, 2006 *A Different Approach to Cosmology: From a Static Universe through the Big Bang towards Reality, 2005 *Fred Hoyle's Universe, 2003 *Scientific Edge: The Indian Scientist from Vedic to Modern Times, 2003 *An Introduction to Cosmology, 2002 *A Different Approach to Cosmology, with G. Burbridge and
Fred Hoyle Sir Fred Hoyle (24 June 1915 – 20 August 2001) was an English astronomer who formulated the theory of stellar nucleosynthesis and was one of the authors of the influential B2FH paper, B2FH paper. He also held controversial stances on oth ...
, Cambridge University Press 2000, , *Quasars and Active Galactic Nuclei: An Introduction, 1999 *From Black Clouds to Black Holes, 1996 *From Black Clouds to Black Holes (Third Edition), 2012, *Seven Wonders of the Cosmos, 1995 *Philosophy of Science: Perspectives from Natural and Social Sciences, 1992 *Highlights in Gravitation and Cosmology, 1989 *The Primeval Universe, 1988 *Violent Phenomena in the Universe, 1982 *The Lighter Side of Gravity, 1982 *Physics-Astronomy Frontier (co-author Sir Fred Hoyle), 1981 *The Structure of the Universe, 1977 *Creation of Matter and Anomalous Redshifts, 2002 *Absorber Theory of Radiation in Expanding Universes, 2002 In Marathi: *आकाशाशी जडले नाते *नभात हसरे तारे


Fiction

In English: *''The Return of Vaman'', 1989 *''The Adventure'' *''The Comet'' In Marathi: *वामन परत न आला *यक्षांची देणगी *अभयारण्य *व्हायरस *प्रेषित *अंतराळातील भस्मासूर *टाईम मशीनची किमया *उजव्या सोंडेचा गणपती In Hindi: * पार नज़र के


References


External links


Jayant Narlikar's Home page
*

* ttp://hispalois.blogspot.com/2006/04/creer-en-el-big-bang-es-un-acto-de-fe.html An interview with Jayant Narlikar on the origin of Universe (2004, in Spanish)br>Jayant V. Narlikar's Summarized BiographyCosmology, Facts and Problems (French)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Narlikar, Jayant 1938 births 2025 deaths Marathi-language writers Recipients of the Padma Vibhushan in science & engineering Indian astrophysicists Banaras Hindu University alumni Indian science fiction writers Scientists from Maharashtra Recipients of the Padma Bhushan in science & engineering Recipients of the Maharashtra Bhushan Award Kalinga Prize recipients 20th-century Indian astronomers Indian male novelists Professors Emeritus Recipients of the Sahitya Akademi Award in Marathi Indian cosmologists