Born in 1929, Govind Swarup was one of the pioneers of radio astronomy in India. (File)
Paying rich tributes to renowned radio astronomer Govind Swarup, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday described him as an "exceptional scientist" while expressing grief at his death.
"Professor Govind Swarup was an exceptional scientist. His pioneering works in radio astronomy have attained global commendation. Anguished by his passing away. My thoughts are with his near and dear ones. This thread gives a glimpse of Professor Swarup's brilliance. Do read," PM Modi tweeted.
He tagged a thread (on Twitter) by the Principal Scientific Adviser to the government of India on Mr Swarup and urged people to read it.
Govind Swarup died on Monday night in a private hospital in Maharashtra following illness. He was 91.
A doyen of Indian radio astronomy, he was the founding director of the National Centre for Radio Astrophysics (NCRA), which is a part of the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research.
Born in 1929, Govind Swarup was one of the pioneers of radio astronomy in India. "He was known not only for his important research contributions but also for his leadership in building highly innovative, world-class radio telescopes such as the Ooty Radio Telescope and the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT), which firmly established India as one of the leading countries for radio astronomy research," the NCRA said.
Govind Swarup obtained his M.Sc from Allahabad University in 1950 and his Ph.D. from Standford University in the USA in 1961. He returned to India in 1963 and joined the TIFR at the invitation of Homi Bhaba, it said.
He received several distinctions throughout his career, including Padma Shri, the Bhatnagar award, and the Grote Reber medal. He was a fellow of many distinguished academics, including Fellowship of the Royal Society, the NCRA said.