P. T. Bhaskara Panicker (1921–1997) was a famous social activist and writer of

Kerala Kerala ( , ) is a States and union territories of India, state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile ...

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

. He was born on 15 October 1921 in Adakkaputhur in

Palakkad Palakkad (), Renaming of cities in India, also known as Palghat, historically known as Palakkattussery, is a city and a municipality in the States and union territories of India, Indian state of Kerala. It is the administrative headquarters of P ...

district to K.M.V.Namppoothiri and Kavukkutty amma. After passing BSc and BT, he worked as a school teacher for two years. He joined the Communist party and spent three years underground and in jail. When the ban on the party was lifted he worked again as teacher in various schools for two years. In the 1954 elections to the Malabar District Board, Panicker contested as a Communist party candidate and won; he became the President of the Board. In 1958 he was posted as the secretary to the Minister for Education in the first ministry of Kerala state. From 1959 to 1965 he served as a member of the

Kerala Public Service Commission The Kerala Public Service Commission (KPSC) is a government body in the state of Kerala, India, responsible for recruiting candidates for various state government jobs through competitive examinations. It was established in 1956 by the provision ...

, from 1969 to 1971, Editor of the Viswavijnana kosam (10 volumes), and from 1971 to 1974, President of Grandhasalasamgham. Panicker was one of the leaders of the science popularisation movement

Kerala Sasthra Sahithya Parishad Kerala Sasthra Sahithya Parishad (KSSP) () is a prominent science and literature organization based in the Indian state of Kerala. It was founded in 1962 with the aim of promoting scientific temper, Rationality, rational thinking, and a scientif ...

, in the 1960s and 1970s. He was the founder editor of journals including Sasthra Keralam (science journal for children) Primary Teacher (journal for school teachers), and Pusthaka Sameeksha (journal for book review ). He was also the editor of encyclopedias like Jeevacharithra kosam for children, Science Encyclopedia for children, Balavijnana kosam, Sasthra Vijnana kosam, Dravida Vijnana kosam. He has been an active leader member of many organizations including KANFED (Kerala Association for Nonformal Education), STEPS Publications, Inter Disciplinary Studies, Bharana Parishkara Vedi (forum for the study of civil service reforms), and Kerala Sthala Nama Samithi (body for research on place names). He has written more than 100 books, mostly scientific and educational. His elder brother was Professor P. Kochunni Panicker, former principal of Government Victoria College, Palakkad. He died on 30 December 1997. Dr. S. Rajendu collected P.T. Bhaskara Panicker's life and a few of his articles "P.T.B. Jeevacaritrakosam" പി.ടി.ബി. ജീവചരിത്രകോശംP.T.B. Jeevacaritrakosam; S. Rajendu, Sadbhavaba Books; Trivandrum; 2024 into four volumes in 2023. Major Works ''Sasthra Parichayam'' ''Sciencinte Kadhakal'' (In 3 parts) ''Jeevante Kadha'' ''Manushyan Enna Yanthram'' ''Grahanthara Yathra''

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Panicker, P. T. Bhaskara 1922 births 1997 deaths Writers from Kerala Indian materialists Indian atheists Malayali people People from Palakkad district Indian male writers Malayalam-language writers Indian Marxist writers Indian communist writers 20th-century Indian writers