IIT Delhi establishes Chair for photonics, endowed by alumnus

New Delhi: Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi has established the “Prof Ajoy K. Ghatak Chair” for Photonics, a statement from the institute said. Ghatak had joined IIT Delhi in 1966 and retired as an Emeritus Professor of Physics in 2007.

The Chair was endowed by Ramadas Pillai, president, Nuphoton Technologies. Pillai is an MTech in applied optics.

“This extraordinary news is truly overwhelming, and I am filled with extreme gratitude towards Dr Pillai for his amazing generosity and to IIT Delhi for honouring me with this wonderful gift”, Ghatak said while accepting the honour.

Defining the endowment as a gurudakshina, Pillai said, “I am fortunate to represent all those students over generations who got inspired and influenced by professor Ghatak as a teacher and mentor. This is a humble gurudakshina from all of us.”

Anurag Sharma, professor of physics at IIT Delhi said: “An outstanding teacher and researcher, professor Ghatak has inspired generations of students and scientists. I have been fortunate to have him as my mentor for over four and a half decades and continue to learn from him.”

Ghatak completed his MSc from the University of Delhi, PhD from Cornell University and was a research associate at Brookhaven National Laboratory. He also received the 2008 SPIE Educator Award in recognition of “his unparalleled global contributions to the field of fiber optics research, and his tireless dedication to optics education worldwide”, the statement said.

He is also a recipient of the SS Bhatnagar Award, 16th Khwarizmi International Award, the International Commission for Optics Galileo Galilei Award, IETE Wadhwa Gold Medal and the UGC Meghnad Saha Award for his research in fiber optics and related areas.

The Chair will focus on "Photonics", the physical science of light generation, its detection, and manipulation.

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