OBITUARY

Professor A.S. Parasnis
Department of Physics,
Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur

The Institute deeply mourns the sad demise of Professor Arawind Sripad Parasnis who left for his heavenly abode on the morning of the 16th Oct 2011.

Professor Parasnis was born on the 18th Aug 1928 at Ahmadnagar. He did his BSc from University of Poona, MSc from Bombay University and obtained his PhD from the University of Bristol in 1960. Immediattely thereafter he joined the Institute as an Assistant Professor, was elevated to an Associate Professor in 1965 and a Professor in 1968. He superannuated in Aug 1988, but continued to serve the Institute till Dec 1989.

Professor Parasnis was one of the first faculty members to join the Institute, when it was still operating from HBTI. He played a major role in building the Institute to what it is. He served in very many committees, academic or otherwise of the Institute. He served as the Head, Department of Physics. He was largely instrumental in the initiation of CELT and Laser Technology Programmes. He also championed the need for the position of Dean, Academic Affairs.

Professor Parasnis started his career in crystallography, but quickly moved on to become an acknowledged authority on Holography. He trained several students in holography, and was responsible, together with his colleagues, in establishing a vibrant and a highly acclaimed Optics group at IIT-K. He was also central to the establishing of the Undergraduate Physics Laboratories. An excellent teacher, his lectures were always interspersed with vivd experimental demonstrations. Even after his retirement, he continued to enthuse young students by showing them many demonstration experiments in schools and colleges.

Professor Parasnis is survived by his wife, Meira Parasnis, and two sons Kaushik and Gautam.

We pray that his soul rest in peace. We also pray that God give his family and innumerable friends the strength to bear the immense grief that his departure has caused.

Read others message for the grieved family