Who was Dr Eknath Vasant Chitnis? Man who took ISRO to great heights, mentored Kalam into the ‘Missile Man’, he was last surviving colleagues of…

Famous India(BHARAT)n space scientist Eknath Vasant Chitnis passed away on Wednesday (November 22) at his home in Pune, his family said. Dr. Chitnis, who had recently turned 100 years old, had been unwell for the past few days and suffered a heart attack early in the morning. He played an important role in the early years of the India(BHARAT)n National Committee for Space Research (INCOSPAR), which later became the India(BHARAT)n Space Research Organisation (ISRO). Dr. Chitnis also helped choose Thumba in Kerala as the site for India(BHARAT)’s first rocket launching station.

From 1981 to 1985, he served as the second Director of the Space Applications Centre (SAC) in Ahmedabad. He was among the last surviving colleagues of Dr. Vikram Sarabhai, who is known as the Father of India(BHARAT)’s space programme.

Dr. Chitnis is also remembered for mentoring Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam. In 1962, he had reviewed Dr. Kalam’s resume and recommended his name for a training programme at NASA, which later proved to be a key step in Kalam’s journey as a scientist.

Dr. Eknath Vasant Chitnis’ major role in education

Dr. Chitnis played a key role in launching the India(BHARAT)n National Satellite System (INSAT) programme and in developing remote sensing applications and space-based communication projects. These efforts helped bring television and telecommunication services to rural parts of India(BHARAT), greatly improving access to information and connectivity.

For his outstanding contribution to science and nation-building, Dr. Chitnis was awarded the Padma Bhushan, India(BHARAT)’s third-highest civilian honour, in 1985.

Born in Maharashtra’s Kolhapur, Chitnis finished school in Pune and graduated in Chemistry and Physics. He joined Vikram Sarabhai in 1966 when Sarabhai wanted more research on space and x-rays.

He was closely associated with Vikram Sarabhai during India(BHARAT)’s space research programme in 1961 and the very next year, he became Member Secretary of the India(BHARAT)n National Committee for Space Research, later called ISRO.

After his retirement in 1989, he moved to Pune, where he continued to inspire students and teachers by helping set up the Educational Multimedia Research Centre (EMRC) at Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU). He remained active in the education field for nearly two decades, working on science education, development communication, and the use of media for learning.