->Whiteguru at 07:02, 31 December 2021

2021-12-31T07:02:52Z

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{{Short description|Indian physicist}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2017}}
{{EngvarB|date=July 2017}}
{{Infobox scientist
| honorific_suffix = {{post-nominals|country=GBR|FRS|size=100%}}
| image = File:Prof M G K Menon.jpg
| caption = 2011
| birth_name = Mambillikalathil Govind Kumar Menon
| birth_date = {{Birth date|df=yes|1928|08|28}}
| birth_place = [[Manglore]], [[India]]
| death_date = {{Death date and age|df=yes|2016|11|22|1928|08|28}}
| children = 2
| alma_mater = [[University of Mumbai]]<br>[[University of Bristol]]
| doctoral_advisor = [[Cecil Frank Powell|Cecil F. Powell]]
| known_for = KGF Experiments (Particle experiments at Kolar Gold Fields)
| footnotes =
| field = [[Physics]]
| work_institution = [[Tata Institute of Fundamental Research]]<br>[[Indian Space Research Organisation]]<br>[[Department of Science and Technology (India)|Department of Science & Technology, Government of India]]
| prizes ={{unbulleted list
|1996 [[Abdus Salam Medal]]|1985 [[Padma Vibhushan]]|1970 [[Fellows of the Royal Society|FRS]]|1968 [[Padma Bhushan]]|1960 [[Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize for Science and Technology]] }}}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| title = [[Chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation|Chairman]], [[Indian Space Research Organisation]]
| term_start = January 1972
| term_end = September 1972
| predecessor = [[Vikram Sarabhai]]
| successor = [[Satish Dhawan]]
}}

'''Mambillikalathil Govind Kumar Menon''' {{post-nominals|country=GBR|FRS}}<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Cowsik|first=Ramanath|date=2021|title=Mambillikalathil Govind Kumar Menon. 28 August 1928—22 November 2016|url=https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsbm.2020.0013|journal=Biographical Memoirs of Fellows of the Royal Society|volume=71}}</ref> (28 August 1928 – 22 November 2016)<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/acclaimed-physicist-and-ex-isro-chief-prof-mgk-menon-dies-at-88/story-KhdZ36LxxsH1z1CasRb6CN.html|title=Acclaimed physicist and ex-ISRO chief Prof MGK Menon dies at 88|date=2016-11-22|website=[[Hindustan Times]]|language=en|access-date=2020-02-15}}</ref> also known as '''M. G. K. Menon''', was a [[physicist]] and policy maker from India. He had a prominent role in the development of science and technology in India over four decades. One of his most important contributions was nurturing the [[Tata Institute of Fundamental Research]], [[Mumbai]], which his mentor [[Homi J. Bhabha]] founded in 1945.

Born in [[Mangalore]], he attended the [[University of Bristol]] for his PhD in elementary [[particle physics]] under the guidance of [[Nobel Laureate]] [[Cecil Frank Powell|Cecil F. Powell]]. He joined the [[TIFR]] in 1955.

He undertook experiments with [[cosmic rays]] to explore the properties of [[fundamental particles]]. He was actively involved in setting up balloon flight experiments, as well as deep underground experiments with cosmic ray [[neutrinos]] in the mines at Kolar Gold Fields. He was the President of the [[Indian Statistical Institute]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.isical.ac.in/officebearers.php |title=Council of the Indian Statistical Institute |access-date=14 December 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111207032145/http://www.isical.ac.in/officebearers.php |archive-date=7 December 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref> the Vikram Sarabhai Fellow of the [[Indian Space Research Organisation]], President of the [[National Academy of Sciences, India]], Director of the [[Tata Institute of Fundamental Research]], [[Mumbai]] (1966–1975), Chairman Board of Governors, [[Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay]] and chairman Board of Governors of the [[Indian Institute of Information Technology, Allahabad]].

He won the [[Abdus Salam]] Award, and was a member of the [[Pontifical Academy of Sciences]]. He was one of the most prominent scientists from the state of Kerala and was elected a [[Fellow of the Royal Society]] in May 1970.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://royalsociety.org/about-us/fellowship/fellows/|title=Lists of Royal Society Fellows|publisher=The Royal Society|access-date=18 November 2011|location=London}}</ref> The [[asteroid]] [[7564 Gokumenon]] was named in his honour in late 2008.{{JPL|7564|†}}

==Early life and education==
M. G. K. Menon was educated at [[Jaswant College]], [[Jodhpur]], and the [[The Institute of Science, Mumbai|Royal Institute of Science]], [[Bombay]], before he moved to the [[University of Bristol]] for his PhD in elementary [[particle physics]] under the guidance of [[Nobel Laureate]] [[Cecil Frank Powell|Cecil F. Powell]] in 1953.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.frontline.in/static/html/fl2517/stories/20080829251709300.htm|title=The master conductor|website=frontline.in|access-date=22 November 2016}}</ref>

==Career==
He joined [[TIFR]] in 1955 "essentially because of [[Homi J. Bhabha|Bhabha]]", and the association lasted nearly five decades. He became the director of the institute in 1966, at the age of 38, following Bhabha's untimely death. In fact, M. G. K. Menon began handling the affairs of the institute ever since he was 33, because of Bhabha's increasing involvement with the country's nascent atomic energy programme.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.frontline.in/static/html/fl2517/stories/20080829251709300.htm|title=The master conductor|website=frontline.in|access-date=22 November 2016}}</ref>

M.G.K. Menon was the chairman of ISRO in 1972.<ref name=":0" /> He was a member of the Planning Commission (1982–1989), Scientific Adviser to the Prime Minister (1986–1989) and Vice-President, Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) (1989–1990). He was elected as a member of parliament (Rajya Sabha) during 1990–96. Then [[V.P. Singh]] appointed him as the minister of state for science and technology and education. (1989).<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Former-ISRO-chief-MGK-Menon-passes-away/articleshow/55562825.cms|title=Former ISRO chief MGK Menon passes away|date=2016-11-22|website=[[The Times of India]]|access-date=2020-02-15}}</ref>

== Awards and recognition ==

* He won the [[Abdus Salam]] Award
* Special Awards: He won the [[Padmasri]] in 1961, [[Padmabhushan]] in 1968 and [[Padma Vibhushan]] in 1985.<ref name="Padma Awards">{{cite web|url=http://mha.nic.in/sites/upload_files/mha/files/LST-PDAWD-2013.pdf|title=Padma Awards|year=2016|publisher=Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://www.webcitation.org/6U68ulwpb?url=http://mha.nic.in/sites/upload_files/mha/files/LST-PDAWD-2013.pdf|archive-date=15 November 2014|access-date=3 January 2016}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Padma Awards {{!}} Interactive Dashboard|url=http://www.dashboard-padmaawards.gov.in/?Year=1961-1961&Award=Padma%20Shri|access-date=2020-09-04|website=www.dashboard-padmaawards.gov.in|language=en}}</ref>
* The [[asteroid]] [[7564 Gokumenon]] was named in his honour in late 2008.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.here-now4u.de/eng/impact_of_advances_in_science_.htm Article by Menon: Impact of Advances in science and new technologies on society]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20061017203909/http://www.4to40.com/legends/index.asp?article=legends_mgkmenon Article on Menon]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20070211031920/http://openvault.wgbh.org/wapina/barcode48888menon_3/index.html Interview about India's nuclear program] for the WGBH series, [[War and Peace in the Nuclear Age]]
*Activists Condemn Gujarat Violence, Screen New Documentary [http://www.asata.org/node/97]{{dead link|date=August 2021|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}

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{{Succession box|title=[[Chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation|ISRO chairman]]|before=[[Vikram Sarabhai]]|after=[[Satish Dhawan]]|years=Jan 1972 – Sept 1972}}
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{{Navboxes|list=
{{Padma Shri Award Recipients in Science & Engineering}}
{{Padma Vibhushan Awards}}
{{PadmaBhushanAwardRecipients 1960–69}}
{{SSBPST recipients in Physical Science}}
{{Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Laureates of Kerala}}
{{Scientific Research in Kerala |state=collapsed}}}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Menon, Mambillikalathil Govind Kumar}}
[[Category:1928 births]]
[[Category:2016 deaths]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian physicists]]
[[Category:Scientists from Mangalore]]
[[Category:People from Ottapalam]]
[[Category:Fellows of the Indian National Science Academy]]
[[Category:Fellows of The National Academy of Sciences, India]]
[[Category:Fellows of the Royal Society]]
[[Category:Foreign Members of the USSR Academy of Sciences]]
[[Category:Foreign Members of the Russian Academy of Sciences]]
[[Category:Alumni of the University of Bristol]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Padma Vibhushan in civil service]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Padma Bhushan in medicine]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Padma Shri in science & engineering]]
[[Category:Janata Dal politicians]]
[[Category:Rajya Sabha members from Rajasthan]]
[[Category:21st-century Indian physicists]]

M. G. K. Menon - Revision history

->Whiteguru at 07:02, 31 December 2021