A Brief Biodata of Prof. Devi Dutt Pant
[Slightly modified version of the one published in 2006, Proceedings of Seminar at Nainital]
Born: 1918, Village : Deorari (Pithoragarh) U.P. (now Uttarakhand)
Died: 2008, June 11 (Haldwani, Uttarakhand).
Academic Qualification
- M.Sc. Physics, Benares Hindu University, Varanasi in 1942 (First batch of Spectroscopy student of Prof. R.K. Asundi).
- D.Sc. Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi 1949.
Research
- Worked with Prof. C.V. Raman at Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore (1942-44) on Photoconductivity of Diamond and the luminescence spectra of Uranyl salts.
- Worked at N.R.C., Ottawa with Herzberg, a Nobel Laureate, 1960.
- Fulbright Scholar (1960-61) worked in Prof. M. Kasha*s Lab.
- Established research laboratory at D.S.B. Degree College (Nainital). The initial work on Uranyl salts had been extensively quoted in "Spectroscopy and Photochemistry of Uranyl Compounds" by B. Belford and B. Rabinowitch (1965). Various aspects of luminescence of Inorganic and Organic molecules dopants, etc. using steady state and a locally fabricated life time measurement device upto micro-second range was studied. Interesting D2O effect was found in lifetime and quantum yield. Energy transfer studies were made in rare earth. The research activities in the lab have been extended to the study on photophysics of structurally and biologically important molecules using steady state and time resolved spectroscopy in nano- and pico-second ranges.
- About One hundred forty research papers have been published and twenty students have received Ph.D. degree under him.
Awards, Recognition and Academic roles
- Awarded fellowship of Sigma Si, USA 1969.
- Awarded fellowship of Indian Academy of Sciences Bangalore.
- Received Raman Centenary Award.
- Asundi Centenary Award.
- Also actively involved in several other educational programs with UGC, U.P. Govt., Govt. of India, Science Education, NCERT, etc.
- Selected for USID program to study Science Education in USA. Participated in International Conference in Columbus, Ohio, Gordon conferences on Spectroscopy, Raman Centenary, CNR Paris (1976), Himalayan Ecology, etc.
- Foggety short time visitor Rockyille (1982 & 84) etc.
Employment
- Lecturer at Agra College, Agra.
- Professor at RBS College, Agra.
- Professor at DSB Govt. College, Nainital, Uttaranchal (1952-62).
- Principal, DSB Govt. College, Nainital, Uttaranchal (1962-71).
- Director of Education, UP 1971-72.
- Dean, Faculty of Science, University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar, Uttaranchal (1972-73).
- Vice Chancellor, Kumaun University, Nainital (1973-77). Since 1978 Emeritus Professor, Advisor and Principal Investigator of several sciences research projects.
Contributions of Prof. D. D. Pant
Dr. D.D. Pant was a rare and judicious mix of a physicist, an educationist and a social activist. He was an institution in himself.
He was a student of Nobel laureate, Sir C.V. Raman and had the rare distinction of doing his post-doctoral with him. Dr. D.D. Pant imbibed a scientific temper from the great C.V. Raman and an insatiable quest for truth for which the great scientist was known. Dr.Pant was his favourite student and he profusely expressed his appreciation for him and wanted him to work in the lab of a Nobel laureate, outside India. Dr. D.D. Pant infused with a spirit of nationalism and Gandhian ideology politely refused the offer and opted for a career in teaching and research in Agra College, Agra at a paltry sum of Rs.100 only. Dr. D.D. Pant sacrificed his career and preferred to popularize Physics in a nation which had been shackled by the alien yoke.
Dr. D.D. Pant did not make a compromise with his ideology of popularizing Physics in India. Untouched by brain drain, he stated in a recent interview that *I have no regrets for sacrificing my career and I don*t gloat over what I sacrificed; but given an opportunity, again I would follow the same path.*
In 1964, he declined the position of Professor and Head of the Physics Department of Rajasthan University because research equipment support was not assured to him. In 1972, he resigned from the coveted position of Director of Education, Uttar Pradesh to become Dean of Science and Humanities at Pantnagar University so as to continue his work as a scientist. In 1973 he accepted the founder Vice Chancellorship of Kumaun University for fulfilling his childhood dream of disseminating education to masses in the hills who could not afford education outside the region owing to economics constraints. His motto was :education for those who are residing in fragmented pockets in geographical isolation. It was a result of his total dedication toward research that the Physics Department of D.S.B. Campus, Kumaun University earned an international repute with the most advanced equipments in the frontier field of Time Resolved Spectroscopy and its identification as a national centre in this field. To him also goes the credit as a Vice Chancellor that he invited Professor K.S. Valdiya and Professor J.S. Singh to join Kumaun University both of whom were awarded FNA (Fellow of National Academy of Science) during his tenure as Vice Chancellor.
For a person of his academic achievements several honours were conferred on him and he got the opportunity to work as a Fulbright Scholar (1960-61) with Nobel Laureate Prof. M. Kasha of USA and in Henzberg’s Lab in Ottawa. He was awarded the Raman Centenary Gold Medal and had the rare distinction of being the first scientist to receive the Professor Asundi Centenary Award.
He had been a great teacher, had supervised the research of 20 Ph.D. students, and published 140 research papers in National and International journals. All the Ph.D. scholars from his school of Photo Physics have blossomed into good teachers and scientists and are working in leading institutions, both in India and abroad.
Dr. D.D. Pant was an avid reader and had a voracious appetite to delve into subjects like Ecology, History, Philosophy, Culture and Literature, etc. His communicative and oratorial skills are impeccable and he had a tremendous capacity to simplify any subject and communicate it to the audience in an extremely popular style. His penchant for reading and his analytical skill laced with outstanding dialogue delivery and language had made him a very popular teacher and a thinker.
Dr. D.D. Pant was a self-made man, with a very humble background. He got his early education in a village school of Pithoragarh district and had to negotiate a distance of 50 km to the road head from his village. This is why he had a deep insight into rural problems of the Himalayan region. The ruggedness of the terrain, its inaccessibility and lop-sided development by the U.P. Govt. in Uttaranchal, his anguish and concern for the region inspired him to institute the Uttarakhand Krantidal (UKD) and mooted the idea of a separate hill state.
Dr. D. D. Pant became a lifetime legend as founder Vice Chancellor of Kumaun University. The quality which distinguishes Prof. Pant from rest of the Indian scientists is that he combined undertaking research of highest quality with his commitment to social work that is reflected in his widespread popularity among the masses of the rural hills. His awe inspiring popularity had wafted through the masses and made him a source of inspiration not only for students but also for the village folk. It would not be an exaggeration to state that his humane attitude and sensitivity towards societal problems had made him a folk hero in Uttarakhand.
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