Family of Dr. D S Kothari
Daulat Singh Kothari was born in Udaipur on 6 July 1906. His paternal grandfather was Mohan Lalji, who was working in the Customs Department, and died in the 1918 plague. Mohan Lalji had a son, Fateh Lalji, and a daughter. Fateh Lalji took his MA in English from the Allahabad University, appearing as a private candidate. He was a popular teacher, who first worked as a headmaster in a government school at Bhilwara, and later as a headmaster in a government high school at Udaipur. (It is perhaps his father’s influence that inspired Daulat Singh to fall in love with teaching in his later life.) Fateh Lalji’s first wife died early without any child. By his second marriage to Lahar Bai (niece Ordia) he had four sons (Daulat Singh, Madan Singh, Duleh Singh and Pratap Singh) and a daughter (who died early). Among the sons, Pratap Singh is the only survivor at the present time. Mohan Singh (b. 1909) retired from service in the government of Rajasthan. Duleh Singh (b. 1912) retired as reader in the department of physics, Udaipur University. Pratap Singh (b. 1914) is a paper technologist who served as Managing Director of NEPA Mills.
Fateh Lalji kept indifferent health and, after his father’s death, at the persuasion of his friend Bapna Sahib, the then Home Minister of the State, he went to Indore for medical treatment, where he died in June 1918. Bapna Sahib took Daulat Singh {who was not yet 12 when his father died) under his care. Daulat Singh matriculated from the Indore Shivaji Rao High School in 1922 with science. He could not have done science had he stayed at Udaipur, where there was no provision for science- teaching at that time. After completing his intermediate in science from Udaipur, Daulat Singh, it appears, wanted to become a watch maker, but, thanks to a special scholarship awarded by the Maharana of Udaipur at that time Honourable Maharna Shriman Fateh Singhji (who was a very intelligent and strong leader having a very tall figure) on the basis of his outstanding performance in the intermediate examination, he was able to go to Allahabad University for his higher studies.
Daulat Singh married Sujan Kanwar (nee Surana). With· ‘her gentle and self-effacing personality, Mrs Kothari was indeed an ideal companion and life-partner for him. It is in the fitness of things that his first son, Lakshman, followed his father’s footsteps· as a physicist; like his father he was a professor in the physics department of Delhi University, and, like his father, continued as Emeritus Professor for many years. He expired few years ago. Lakshman’s research interests are in the fields of neutron physics and solid-state physics. The second son, Lalit, is a distinguished (retired) professor of physiology and currently staying at Jaipur and is around 92 years old but very active. The youngest son, Jeevan, is a well-known architect.
Educational Background
Daulat Singh took his BSc degree from Allahabad University in 1926 and the MSc in physics from Allahabad in 1928. It was at Allahabad in 1924, as a first year undergraduate student, that he came into contact with Professor Meghnad Saha who was his teacher. This contact proved to be a great boon for science in our country. Saha was impressed by Kothari’s diligence and brilliance. Saha not only taught him physics but also got him interested in the history of science and philosophy. As Kothari himself recalls1, Saha came to Kothari’s room in the Jain hostel one day in the evening of February 1927 and enquired whether he intended to appear at the competitive examination for government service. Saha was greatly pleased when told by Kothari that he had no such idea, and immediately offered the post of a demonstrator in the physics department. Saha himself dictated the application which Kothari submitted the next day. Kothari got the offer in July 1928 as soon as his MSc results were announced.
Worked with Lord Ernest Rutherford for Ph D at Cambridge University:
Kothari worked at Allahabad for a short time. Very soon, he won a United Provinces (now Uttar Pradesh) government scholarship to pursue higher studies at Cambridge University. It is interesting to recall that the Indian High Commission in London had first fixed his admission at Oxford University against his wishes. In his characteristically modest way Kothari says that ‘through the confluence of lucky coincidences’, he was able to get the admission changed to Cambridge University. S Chandrasekhar had exactly the same problem, due to the bureaucratic approach of the High Commission, and he had to put pressure from different quarters to get the admission changed from Oxford to Cambridge. At Cambridge, Kothari worked under Lord Rutherford, Peter Kapitza and RH Fowler at the Cavendish Laboratory. It was here that he came into contact with Chandrasekhar; their friendship (as well as research interactions) continued unbroken throughout.
At Cambridge, Kothari originally felt that it was better to devote time to learn the new physics and mathematics from the great masters than to work within the narrow limits for a PhD. But, thanks to a strongly worded letter from Professor Saha in 1932, Kothari changed his mind. He got a 6-month extension of his 2-year scholarship through the influence of the Master of his College who was a member of the British parliament. {An earlier request strongly supported by Lord Rutherford had been abruptly rejected).
Back to Allahabad and then to Delhi University:
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In 1933 he got his PhD from Cambridge University. He soon returned to India to rejoin his post in Allahabad University. In 1934, again at the insistence of Prof Meghnath Saha, he joined Delhi University as Reader in Physics. At that time there were only two teachers, Kothari and a demonstrator, in the department. There were no post-graduate courses in science subjects. He was made professor in 1942. One of the traditions that he set up was that every faculty member, be he a theoretician or an experimentalist, should participate in the laboratory,
Dr. D S Kothari as a first Scientific Adviser to the Minister of Defense:
On 12 July 1948 he took charge as the first Scientific Adviser to the Minister of Defense. The scale of pay for the post was fixed at Rs 2000-100-2500 (at par with the pay scale of the Directors of the National Laboratories). But Professor Kothari would agree to take only Rs 1250/- as salary, which was the amount he was getting as a Professor. He also continued to reside in the university campus and never missed his teaching classes in the university. He rejoined Delhi University on 12 July 1952, but was specially requested by the Defense Ministry to continue as Honorary Scientific Adviser, a post that he held till March 1961. As Honorary Scientific Adviser, he was drawing just a token pay of one rupee a month (because it appears that if he were to exercise the enormous financial powers vested in the Scientific Adviser, he had to get some salary from the government).
Dr. D S Kothari as a UGC Chairman and Chancellor of Jawahar Lal Nehru University
In March 1961 he took charge as Chairman, University Grants Commission, a post that he held till 1973. It was during this tenure that he was appointed Chairman of the Education Commission (1964-66); the report of this Commission, generally known as the Kothari Commission report, was a landmark in the annals of education in our country.
In 1981 he was appointed Chancellor of the Jawaharlal Nehru University (probably the only time an educationist adorned the post of Chancellor of an Indian university, which is generally the prerogative of the Governors; JNU was somewhat of an exception in that Mrs Indira Gandhi was its first Chancellor. He continued as Chancellor for two terms, till 1991.
Honours and awards:
Honours and awards came in plenty to Professor Kothari. In 1962 he was awarded Padma Bhushan and in 1973, Padma Vibhushan. He was the General President of the Indian Science Congress in 1964. In 1966 he was chosen for the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Award of the Indian National Science Academy (INSA). In 1973 he was elected Foreign Member of the USSR Academy of Sciences. During 1973-74 he was the President of the Indian National Science Academy. I n 1978 he was awarded the Meghnad Saha Medal of INSA. Professor Kothari was a Fellow of the Third World Academy of Sciences, Trieste, Italy, a member of the Pugwash Conference, and a recipient of the award of the National Federation of UNESCO Associations in India.
- PHASES IN PROFESSOR KOTHARI’S ACADEMIC CAREER
Professor Kothari’s academic career can be broadly classified into the following four phases (there is no sharp line of temporal demarcation between them).
Phase I (1930-1950): Contributions to physics and astrophysics;
Phase II (1948-1961): Establishment and development of defense science in India (this is covered in a separate paper in this issue);
Phase III (1961-1966): Contributions to education; and
Phase IV (mid-1970’s onwards): Involvement in questions. relating to the philosophical foundations of science, inter- relationships of science, spirituality and humanism.
Contributions to Astrophysics
It is for his pioneering work in the theory of pressure ionization that Professor Kothari is internationally known. Professor Kothari’s other interests were: statistical thermodynamics; quantum statistics; internal constitution of the stars; application of Ramanujan’s partition theory of numbers to statistical mechanics, and interestingly, to high polymers; theory of fragmentation of large masses into stars; effects of radiation on the Lamb shift; theory of the magnetic monopole (an entity that Dirac had proposed in 1931).
Contributions in the Field of Education
The nation owes a deep debt of gratitude to Professor Kothari for his monumental contributions to the cause of education. The Kothari Commission’s recommendations are of far- reaching import. As Dr LM Singhvi aptly put it, ‘The Kothari Commission report, like Dr Kothari himself, was profound without being ponderous, idealistic without being impractical, fundamental without being fanatical’. (Dr Prem Kirpal; in an article in this issue, has dealt at some length with this aspect, interspersed with revealing personal glimpses of Professor Kothari’s personality).
Professor Kothari took keen interest in the activities of the National Council of Educational Research and Training, and advised the NCERT on the writing of text books in science, and on standardizing technical terms in Hindi.
As Chairman of UGC, he helped raise the quality of advanced studies and research by providing the necessary financial inputs and facilities. Although he was ascetic by nature, he was sensitive to current trends, and in later years supported generous funding not only for laboratory facilities but also for better pay scales, residential and office accommodation.
His advice and guidance were sought by many educationists and administrators. For example, the civil services examinations now conducted by the Union Public Service Commission are patterned on the model Professor Kothari suggested.
THE LAST YEARS
Professor Kothari had been · keeping indifferent health during the last 10, years of his life. Although physical infirmity prevented him from indulging in his favourite pursuit of lecturing on physics to students at the University, he was mentally alert to the last. He thought profoundly about the relationship between ‘Ator.41.’ and ‘Self, that is the inter- relationships between the external universe and the internal universe, the mind-body interaction, or, more broadly, the inter-relationship between science and spirituality. He not only loved to meet colleagues and exchange thoughts with them, but he also spoke and wrote copiously about these basic philosophical questions. The end came peacefully in his sleep in the early hours of the fourth of February 1993 at Jaipur.
REFERENCES
NAGARATNAM & VENKATESAN: PROF DS KOTIIARI: A PROFILE, DEF. SCI. J, VOL 44, NO 3, JULY 1994 (The above material is taken from this reference only)
- Kothari, D.S. Atom and Self. Meghnad Saha Medal Lecture, 1978. Proc. Ind. Natn. Sci. Acad., 1980, 46 (1), 1-28.
- Panchapakesan, N. A superb teacher-learner: An obituary of D.S. Kothari (1906-1993). Current Science, 1993, 64(7), 528.
Early Career
- Dr Daulat Singh Kothari (Dr D. S. Kothari) was born in Udaipur, Rajasthan, India on July 6th, 1906. His early education was at Udaipur and Indore. Completed Masters in Physics from Allahabad University in 1928 under the guidance of Dr Meghnad Saha. For his doctoral degree he joined University of Cambridge and worked at the famous Cavendish Laboratory, under Nobel laureate Lord Ernest Rutherford. Dr. Kothari’s contemporary scientists there were Neils Bohr, Pyotr Kapitza, James Chadwick, Patrick Blackett many of whom worked with him to build Indian science.
His research on pressure ionization and the theory of White Dwarf Stars gave him an international reputation.
Professional Engagements
Dr Kothari worked at the University of Delhi from 1934 to 1961 as Reader, Professor and the Head of the Department of Physics. He was the first Scientific Advisor to Minister of Defense, Government of India during 1948 – 1961. Thereafter, he served as the Chairman, University Grants Commission during 1961-1973. Dr D. S. Kothari was the President of the Indian Science Congress at its Golden Jubilee Session in 1963 and served as the President of Indian National Science Academy during 1973-74.
Dr Kothari Chaired the Education Commission of India during 1964–66. This is now known as the Kothari Commission. Its outstanding report laid down the firmament of higher Education in India. Dr Kothari was also the Architect of Defense Science in India having founded first 12 Laboratories of the Defense Research Development Organization across India. Each of them have contributed to the development of defense science in India.
Honors
Dr. Kothari was honoured with the Highest Civilian awards of India, the Padma Bhushan in 1962, and the Padma Vibhushan in 1973. In 2011 the Department of Posts, Government of India brought out a commemorative stamp in his honour. His vision and mission is summarized in the following quotation from his lectures as President, Indian National Science Academy during 1973-74.
Vision
Dr. DS Kothari is remembered for his leadership in four vital areas of our National Development, viz.,
- Scientific Research
- Education
- Defense Science
- Morality, Ethics and Spirituality
His vision in his own words was,
The great reality of our age is science. The understanding of nature which science provides, and the deep harmony it unfolds, are deeply satisfying to the human mind. The power of science to transform society is immense, perhaps more than any other activity. Equally real and pervasive is human suffering, starvation, pain, devastation, violence, loneliness and deep anguish of the soul. Science will suffer grievously and in the end reduce to a mockery, if all its power is not yoked to alleviate human suffering.
Publications on work of Dr. D S Kothari
Education and Character Building
Collection of Convocation Addresses delivered by Prof. D S Kothari
Editor Feroz Ahmed
Published by National Institute of Science Communication (NISCOM)
Dr. K.S. Krishnan Marg, Pusa Gate, New Delhi-110012, India
Ph: 25785359, 25786301/7 Fax : 25787062;
ATOM and SELF
Collection of Memorial Lectures delivered by Prof. D S Kothari
Editor Feroz Ahmed
Published by New Age International (P) Limited , Publishers
4835/24, Ansari Road, Darya Ganj, New Delhi- 110002, India Fax : -11-23267437
Knowledge and Wisdom
Collection of Lectures and Addresses on University Education
and Defence Science delivered by Prof. D S Kothari
Editor Feroz Ahmed
Published by New Age International (P) Limited , Publishers
4835/24, Ansari Road, Darya Ganj, New Delhi- 110002, India, Fax : 91-11-23267437
Education, Science and Human Values
Essays in honour of Prof. D. S. Kothari
Editors R. C. Mehrotra, Ramesh K. Arora
Published by New Age International Publishers
कीर्ति पुरूष
प्रो. डी. एस. कोठारी की जीवनी एक उपन्यास के रूप में
लेखक डा. धनराज चैधरी
वाणी प्रकाषन 21-ए, दरियागंज, नयी दिल्ली-110002 द्वारा प्रकाषित
फोन: 23273167, 23275710 फैक्स: 23275710
VISION AND VALUES
SCIENCE . DEFENCE . EDUCATION . ETHICS
Essays in Honour of Dr. D. S. Kothari on His Birth Centenary
EDITORS LALIT K. KOTHARI, RAMESH K. ARORA
Published by PARAGON INTERNATIONAL PUBLISHERS
5, Ansari Road, Daryagnanj, New Delhi-110002
Phones : 011-23274151, 65364964, 23274375
Science and Humanism
Editors : Feroz Ahmed
Galgotia Publications (p) Limited
5 Ansari Road, Daryaganj, New Delhi 110 002
Concept of Truth in Science and Religion
Editors : K D Gangrude, L S Kothari, A R Verma
Concept Publishing Company, New Delhi
Forty Years of Kothari Commission
Reforms and Reflections
Feroz Ahmed and Suresh Garg
Viva Books (P)Limited, New Delhi