ThomasEl at 17:57, 17 April 2025

2025-04-17T17:57:27Z

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{{Short description|Indian scientist (1923–2018)}}
{{EngvarB|date=September 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2018}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Arcot Ramachandran
| birth_date = {{birth date|df=yes|1923|4|6}}<ref>{{cite web|title=Ramachandran, Arcot, 1923-|url=http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n85308615.html|publisher=Library of Congress|access-date=12 May 2015}}</ref>
| death_date = {{Death date and age |2018|5|18 |1923|4|6 |df=yes}}
| birth_place = [[Madras, Tamil Nadu]], India
| occupation = Scientist
| awards = [[Padma Bhushan]] Sir M. Visvesvaraya Life Time Achievement Award INAE Life Time Achievement Award World Federation of Engineering Organizations Award Shanti Swaroop Bhatnagar Gold Medal World Habitat Trophy Heat Transfer Memorial Award
}}
'''Arcot Ramachandran''' (1923-2018) was an Indian scientist, [[anthropologist]], author and a former under-secretary general of [[United Nations Centre for Human Settlements]], known for his scholarship on the subjects of ''heat and mass transfer'' and environment and his social commitment to the cause of sustainable development. The [[Government of India]] honoured him in 2003, with the [[Padma Bhushan]], the third highest civilian award, for his services to the fields of science and engineering.<ref name="Padma announcement">{{cite web | url=http://www.rediff.com/news/report/padma/20030125.htm | title=Padma announcement | access-date=13 August 2014}}</ref>

==Life sketch==
Born in a Tamil-speaking [[Thuluva Vellala|Arcot Mudaliar]] family in the Indian state of [[Karnataka]],

Arcot Ramachandran graduated from the [[Madras University]] and went to the [[Purdue University]], USA, from where he obtained MS degree in engineering. He continued at the university for his doctoral research and obtained his PhD.<ref name="DSDS" />

Ramachandran started his career as a faculty member of the Department of [[Power Engineering]] at the [[Indian Institute of Science]], Bangalore, in 1950, and, later, rose to the rank of an assistant professor. In 1954, he took a break from the teaching career to work as a researchefngineer at [[Babcock & Wilcox]] Research and Development Centre, [[Renfrew]], Scotland where he worked for a year. The next year, in 1955, he again went to the US to continue his studies at the post-doctoral level, as post-doctoral research fellow, to Purdue University and, later, at Columbia University.<ref name="DSDS" /><ref name="Wikileaks">{{cite web | url=https://wikileaks.org/plusd/cables/1975NEWDE01099_b.html | title=Wikileaks | publisher=Public Library of US Diplomacy | work=Limited Official Use – Biographic information on delegates | date=23 January 1975 | access-date=14 August 2014 | author=Margaret P. Grafeld | pages=1–2}}</ref>

Ramachandran came back to India, in 1957, did a summer course at [[Indian Institute of Technology Madras|Indian Institute of Technology]], Madras. Subsequent to that, IISc invited him to head the Department of Mechanical Engineering. In 1965, he was transferred as the head of the Department of Industrial Management and, two years later, in 1967, he became the director of IIT Madras.<ref name="Wikileaks" /><ref name="INAE bio" />

In 1973, the Government of India established a new Department of Science and Technology and nominated Ramachandran as the government secretary and the director-general of the [[Council of Scientific and Industrial Research]], in charge of the newly formed department. During his tenure there, he is reported to be able to start several ventures and programs such as:<ref name="DSDS" />
* Science and Technology Agency
* Environment Planning, Co-ordination and Research Programme
* [[Science and Engineering Research Council]]
* Energy Sources Research and Development Programme
* National Information System for Science and technology (NISSAT)<ref name="NISSAT">{{cite web | url=http://www.dsir.gov.in/a_report/english/2002-03E/nissat.pdf | title=NISSAT | publisher=DSIR | work=DSIR Annual Report | date=2002 | access-date=14 August 2014 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150923220705/http://www.dsir.gov.in/a_report/english/2002-03E/nissat.pdf | archive-date=23 September 2015 | url-status=dead }}</ref>
* [[Central Electronics Limited]]

In 1977, Ramachandran was made the chairman of the Preparatory Committee for the ''United Nations Conference on Science and Technology for Development''. He was also involved with the ''[[UNESCO]] Expert Group Meeting on Engineering Education'',<ref name="UNESCO Expert Group">{{cite web | url=http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0010/001056/105609e.pdf | title=UNESCO Expert Group | access-date=14 August 2014}}</ref> in the capacity of its chairman. ''U.N. ESCAP Regional Centre for Transfer of Technology'' [[Bangalore]], started on 16 July 1977, owes its origin to the recommendations of this Expert Group.<ref name="UN ESCAP">{{cite web | url=http://www.dsir.gov.in/apctt/apctt.htm | title=UN ESCAP | publisher=APCTT | date=2010 | access-date=14 August 2014 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150923220709/http://www.dsir.gov.in/apctt/apctt.htm | archive-date=23 September 2015 | url-status=dead }}</ref> The next year, he was selected as the Under Secretary-General and Executive Director of the [[United Nations Centre for Human Settlements]] (Habitat), headquartered in Nairobi. He also had the additional charge of the Administrator of the [[United Nations Human Settlements Programme|United Nations Habitat and Human Settlements Foundation]]. In 1993, Dr. Ramachandran retired from the UN.<ref name="DSDS" />

Ramachandran has participated, as the chairman or as a member, in various advisory and consultative committees<ref name="Ramachandran Committee">{{cite web | url=http://envfor.nic.in/mef/crz_report.pdf | title=Ramachandran Committee | access-date=14 August 2014 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304194924/http://envfor.nic.in/mef/crz_report.pdf | archive-date=4 March 2016 | url-status=dead }}</ref> under the Ministry of Non-conventional Energy Sources, the Ministry of Urban Affairs and the Department of Ocean Development.<ref name="DSDS" />

==Legacy==
Arcot Ramachandran has made many contributions, both social and educational, during his academic and administrative careers. During his tenure as the Under Secretary General at the UN Centre for Human Settlements, he proposed the introduction of ''[[World Habitat Day]]'', which was accepted, leading to observing the first Monday of every October as a special day to remind the world of sustainable progress with regard to environment.<ref name="DSDS" /><ref name="IISc Profile">{{cite web | url=http://www.cedt.iisc.ernet.in/people/sdipali/mcdes2008cd/arcotbio.pdf | title=IISc Profile | access-date=13 August 2014 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140814144727/http://www.cedt.iisc.ernet.in/people/sdipali/mcdes2008cd/arcotbio.pdf | archive-date=14 August 2014 | url-status=dead }}</ref> He was also instrumental in the proclamation of the year 1987 as the [[International Year of Shelter for the Homeless]], as a part of the ''Global Strategy for Shelter'' for the year 1987.<ref name="IISc Profile" /> It was during his tenure, UN launched the ''Sustainable Cities Programme'' in 12 cities, in 1990.<ref name="Sustainable Cities UN">{{cite web | title=Sustainable Cities UN|url=https://www.un.org/en/sustainablefuture/cities.shtml | access-date=14 August 2014}}</ref><ref name="US National Library of Medicine">{{cite journal | journal=Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences | title=Sustainable Cities Programme: A Joint UN-HABITAT-UNEP Facility on the Urban Environment with Participation of the Dutch Government | date=June 2004 | last1=Gebre-Egziabher|first1= A. | pages=62–79 | pmid=15253899 | doi=10.1196/annals.1319.016 | volume=1023| issue=1 | bibcode=2004NYASA1023...62G }}</ref>

On the academic front, Ramachandran is the founder of a School of Research in Heat and Mass Transfer.<ref name="Wikileaks" /> He is reported to be successful in launching several programs in Mechanical Engineering, during his stint at the [[Indian Institute of Science]], Bangalore. Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, under his Directorship, is reported to have gained reputation as a Centre of Excellence.<ref name="IISc Profile" /><ref name="INSA" /> During this period, he founded the ''Indian Society of Heat and Mass Transfer'' of which he was the first President. He also opened the ''School of Heat Transfer'' and the ''School of Energy Research'', under the umbrella of IIT Madras. He is also credited with organising the Regional Centre for Energy, Heat and Mass Transfer for Asia-Pacific.<ref name="DSDS" />

While he was the Government Secretary, Ramachandran implemented the first Science and Technology Plan, suggested by NCST. His efforts were also reported to be behind the establishment of National Remote Sensing Agency, in Hyderabad. He is also regarded as the architect of the ''National Program for Research and Development in Renewable Sources of Energy''.<ref name="IISc Profile" /><ref name="INSA" />

Arcot Ramchandran has also contributed to dissemination of information by way of conducting many seminars<ref name="Salt March Media">{{cite web | url=http://www.saltmarch.com/pressRelease3.html | title=Salt March Media | publisher=Salt March Media | date=2014 | access-date=14 August 2014}}</ref> and by way of keynote addresses and lectures, delivered at various platforms and seminars, a few of which are:

* Keynote address on ''Sustainable communities through partnership'' at the meeting of the Commonwealth Heads of Governments at Edinburgh, Scotland in October 1997<ref name="DSDS" />
* Keynote address on ''Science and Technology for Sustainable Development'' at the Maharashtra Association for the cultivation of Science, Pune in 1998<ref name="DSDS" />
* Keynote Address ''on 'Metropolitan Concentrations of knowledge based industries'' at the International Conference, Ottawa, Canada, in September 1997<ref name="DSDS" />

==Positions==
{{Div col|colwidth=30em}}
* Under Secretary General, [[United Nations Centre for Human Settlements]] (HABITAT)<ref name="DSDS" /><ref name="INSA" /><ref name="Under Secretary General - WorldCat">{{cite book | title=Under Secretary General – WorldCat |oclc = 81659456}}</ref>
* Chairman – Preparatory Committee of ''UN Conference on Science and Technology''<ref name="INAE bio">{{cite web | url=http://www.inae.in/life_time.html | title=INAE bio | publisher=Indian National Academy of Engineering | date=2014 | access-date=14 August 2014 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130128191146/http://www.inae.in/life_time.html | archive-date=28 January 2013 | url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="INSA" />
* Government Secretary – [[Department of Science and Technology (India)|Department of Science and Technology]] – [[Government of India]]<ref name="INAE bio" /><ref name="INSA" />
* Chairman – [[The Energy and Resources Institute]] (TERI) – Southern Regional Centre<ref name="DSDS" />
* board member – Intercultural Cooperation Foundation (ICF) India<ref name="ICF">{{cite web | url=http://www.hati.ch/AboutUs/IcfIndia/index_html1?lang=en;ni=0;s=1 | title=ICF | access-date=13 August 2014}}</ref>
* board member – Public Affairs Centre, Bangalore<ref name="PAC India">{{cite web|url=http://www.pacindia.org/index.php/ourgovernance/content/14 |title=PAC India |access-date=13 August 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140816011035/http://www.pacindia.org/index.php/ourgovernance/content/14 |archive-date=16 August 2014 }}</ref>
* Chairman, International Jury – [[UNCHS]] (Habitat) and the [[United Arab Emirates]]<ref name="DSDS">{{cite web | url=http://dsds.teriin.org/2003/speakers/arama.htm | title=DSDS | access-date=13 August 2014}}</ref>
* President – Solar Energy Society of India<ref name="DSDS" />
* President – National Institute of Urban Affairs, New Delhi<ref name="DSDS" />
* Chairman – Governing Council – Tata Energy Research Institute, New Delhi<ref name="DSDS" />
* Chairman – Science and Technology Advisory Committee for SSS-Nire, M.N.E.S., Government of India<ref name="DSDS" />
* Hon. Visiting Professor – National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bangalore<ref name="DSDS" />
* Chairman – Engineering Staff College of India, Hyderabad<ref name="DSDS" />
* Member – [[American Society of Engineering Education]]<ref name="Wikileaks" />
* Member – UK Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer<ref name="Wikileaks" />
* Member – National Council of Science Education<ref name="Wikileaks" />
{{div col end}}

==Awards and recognitions==
* [[Padma Bhushan]] – [[Government of India]] – 2003<ref name="Padma announcement" /><ref name="DSDS" /><ref name="INSA">{{cite web | url=http://insaindia.org.in/detail.php?id=N74-0595 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160813030003/http://insaindia.org.in/detail.php?id=N74-0595 | url-status=usurped | archive-date=13 August 2016 | title=INSA | access-date=13 August 2014}}</ref>
* [[Visvesvaraya|Sir M. Visvesvaraya]] Life Time Achievement Award in Engineering – 1999<ref name="DSDS" /><ref name="KSCST">{{cite web | url=http://www.kscst.org.in/awards.html | title=KSCST | publisher=KSCST | date=6 June 2014 | access-date=14 August 2014}}</ref>
* [[Indian National Academy of Engineering]] Life Time Achievement Award – 1999<ref name="DSDS" /><ref name="INAE bio" /><ref name="INSA" />
* [[World Federation of Engineering Organizations]] Award – 2005<ref name="DSDS" />
* [[Shanti Swaroop Bhatnagar]] Gold Medal – 1998<ref name="DSDS" /><ref name="INSA" />
* World Habitat Trophy – Building and Social Housing Foundation of UK – 1995<ref name="DSDS" /><ref name="INSA" />
* Heat Transfer Memorial Award – [[American Society of Mechanical Engineers]] – 1986<ref name="DSDS" /><ref name="INAE bio" /><ref name="INSA" />

==Honorary degrees and fellowships==
Arcot Ramachandran has been honoured by several prominent educational and research institutions, by way of Fellowships and ''[[Honoris Causa]]'' Doctoral degrees.

{{Div col|colwidth=30em}}
'''Honorary doctorates'''
* [[Purdue University]], USA
* [[Stuttgart University]], Germany
* [[University of Roorkee]], India
* [[Andhra University]], India
* [[Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University, Hyderabad|Jawarharlal Nehru Technological University]], India
* [[Anna University]], India
* [[Indian Institute of Technology Madras]], India
* [[University of Venice]], Italy

'''Fellowships'''
* Life Fellow – [[Institution of Engineers (India)|Institution of Engineers]]<ref name="DSDS" />
* Fellow of the [[Indian Institute of Science]]<ref name="DSDS" />
* Fellow – [[American Society of Mechanical Engineers]]<ref name="DSDS" /><ref name="Wikileaks" /><ref name="INSA" />
* Fellow – [[American Society of Engineering Education]]<ref name="Wikileaks" />
* Fellow – [[Institution of Mechanical Engineers]]<ref name="DSDS" /><ref name="INSA" />
* Fellow – [[Indian National Science Academy]]<ref name="DSDS" />
* Fellow – [[Indian Academy of Sciences]]<ref name="DSDS" /><ref name="INSA" />
* Fellow – [[Indian National Academy of Engineering]]<ref name="DSDS" /><ref name="INSA" />
{{div col end}}

==Writings==
* {{cite book | url=https://www.amazon.com/Earth-construction-technology-Arcot-RAMACHANDRAN/dp/B0011OYQWW/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1407932198&sr=1-1 | title=Earth construction technology | publisher=United Nations | author=Arcot Ramachandran | year=1992 | asin=B0011OYQWW}}
* {{cite book | url=https://www.amazon.com/Sustainable-Transportation-Development-International-Proceedings/dp/B001ATJGCS/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1407932198&sr=1-2 | title=Sustainable Transportation: Strategies and Development | publisher=United Nations |author1=Chris Flavin |author2=Mia Birk |author3=Angela Bischoff |author4=Arcot Ramachandran | year=1992 | location=Brazil | pages=274 | asin=B001ATJGCS}}
* {{cite book | url=https://www.amazon.com/Energy-research-development-India-commemoration/dp/B0006CNOPA/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1407932198&sr=1-3 | title=Energy research and development in India: Challenges and perspectives | publisher=Andhra Pradesh Akademi of Sciences | author=Arcot Ramachandran | year=1974 | pages=32 | asin=B0006CNOPA}}
* {{cite book | url=https://www.amazon.com/settlements-international-development-strategy-OP-occasional/dp/B0007BMP0A/ref=sr_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1407932198&sr=1-5 | title=Human settlements and the new international development strategy | publisher=United Nations Centre for Human Settlements | author=Arcot Ramachandran | year=1979 | pages=12 | asin=B0007BMP0A}}
* {{cite book | url=https://www.amazon.com/Human-settlements-development-process-Ramachandran/dp/B0007AUMMY/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1407932198&sr=1-4 | title=Human settlements in the development process | publisher=Eastern Regional Organization for Planning and Housing | author=Arcot Ramachandran | year=1980 | pages=26 | asin=B0007AUMMY}}
* {{cite book | title=The urban challenge : a collection of lectures delivered by Dr. Arcot Ramachandran, formerly Under Secretary General and Executive Director, UN Habitat, Nairobi | publisher=Focus Communications |author1=Arcot Ramachandran |author2=Vinod K Tewari |author3=M Ramaiah | year=2003 | location=Bangalore | pages= 405 | oclc=81659456}}
* {{cite book | title=Problems of urbanization in Africa : the role of secondary cities in economic and social development | publisher=Institute for Development Anthropology document |author1=Arcot Ramachandran |author2=Paul-Walter Bouda | year=1984 | location=Dakar, Senegal| pages=7 | oclc=226969085}}

==See also==
{{portal|India}}
* [[United Nations Human Settlements Programme]]
* [[Indian Institute of Technology Madras]]

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

==External links==
* {{cite web | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Sg2JVtfZoY | title=Speech – YouTube video | website=[[YouTube]] | date=30 January 2013 | access-date=13 August 2014}}
* {{cite web | url=http://www.worldcat.org/search?q=au%3ARamachandran%2C+Arcot.&qt=hot_author | title=List of books on WorldCat | access-date=13 August 2014}}

{{PadmaBhushanAwardRecipients 2000–09}}

{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ramachandran, Arcot}}
[[Category:1923 births]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Padma Bhushan in science & engineering]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian anthropologists]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian engineers]]
[[Category:2018 deaths]]
[[Category:Fellows of the Indian Academy of Sciences]]
[[Category:Fellows of the Indian National Science Academy]]
[[Category:University of Madras alumni]]
[[Category:Purdue University College of Engineering alumni]]
[[Category:Engineers from Karnataka]]
[[Category:Academic staff of the Indian Institute of Science]]
[[Category:21st-century Indian anthropologists]]

Arcot Ramachandran - Revision history

ThomasEl at 17:57, 17 April 2025