IIT Delhi establishes chair for research in chemistry

NEW DELHI: Indian Institute of Delhi established NK Jha chair for research in chemistry to honour the former professor of the department. The children of N K Jha, a former member of the chemistry faculty at IIT Delhi have endowed the chair to support research and training in the chemistry department of the institute.

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Speaking on setting up the chair, Jha’s children said, “It is a privilege for us to establish the professor N K Jha Chair in honour of our father. We hope that the establishment of this Chair will further advance research and teaching in the department, which has always been dear to our father."

Narayanan Kurur, head, Department of Chemistry said, “It is a pleasure to establish the professor N K Jha Chair in Chemistry. He has been a distinguished faculty member from 1965-1997 and a well-known researcher in the field of inorganic chemistry. The confidence of the benefactors in the department inspires us, and their generosity propels us forward.”

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V. Ramgopal Rao, Director, IIT Delhi added, “We hope that Prof Jha’s dedication towards teaching and research inspires every occupant of this Chair to give their best to the institute and the country. There can be no better way to honour the legacy of a parent and we are grateful to his children for such a wonderful gesture.”

“N K Jha was amongst the earliest members of the chemistry department starting as a lecturer in 1965 and retiring as professor in 1997 and serving as Head of the Department and Chairman of the Departmental Research Committee. He is well-known for his work on the discovery of hitherto unknown noble gas compounds that he did for his PhD with Neil Bartlett at the University of British Columbia,” informed IIT Delhi in a press statement.