Bikash Sinha

{{Infobox scientist

| name = Bikash Sinha

| image = Bikash Sinha 4800.JPG

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| caption = Sinha in 2010

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1945|6|16|df=y}}

| birth_place = Kandi, Murshidabad district, Bengal Province, British India

| death_date = {{Death date and age|2023|8|11|1945|6|16|df=y}}

| death_place =Minto Park, Kolkata, West Bengal, India

| fields = Physics

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| alma_mater = {{ubl|Calcutta University (BSc)|Cambridge University (BA)|London University (MA, PhD, DSc)}}

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| known_for = {{hlist|High energy physics|nuclear physics}}

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| awards = {{ubl|Padma Bhusan (2010)| Rabindra Puraskar (2022)}}

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Bikash Sinha (16 June 1945 – 11 August 2023) was an Indian physicist who was active in the fields of nuclear physics and high energy physics. Sinha was the director of the Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics and Variable Energy Cyclotron Centre and the chairman of the Board of Governors of the National Institute of Technology, Durgapur in June 2005. He was also a member of scientific advisory board to the Prime Minister of India.

==Early life and education==

Bikash Sinha was born on 16 June 1945 in Kandi, Murshidabad.{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=W7oZAAAAYAAJ&q=Bikash+Sinha+June+16+,+1945 |title=Reference India: S-Z |date=2003 |publisher=Rifacimento International |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Fellowship {{!}} Indian Academy of Sciences |url=https://opsias.ias.ac.in/describe/fellow/Sinha,_Prof._Bikash_Chandra |access-date=12 August 2023 |website=opsias.ias.ac.in}}{{Cite web |title=Murshidabad History - Kandi and Paikpara Raj Family |url=https://murshidabad.net/history/history-topic-kandi-paikpara-raj.htm |access-date=12 August 2023 |website=murshidabad.net}}{{Cite web |title=Kandi Raj College |url=https://krc.edu.in/ |access-date=16 May 2022 |website=krc.edu.in}}

He studied physics for his bachelor's degree at Presidency College, Kolkata from 1961 to 1964, graduating with high honors.{{Cite web |title=Amartya Sen ultimately right: Sinha |url=https://www.telegraphindia.com/west-bengal/amartya-sen-ultimately-right-sinha/cid/1715989 |access-date=11 August 2023 |website=www.telegraphindia.com |language=en}} He then proceeded to King's College, Cambridge, for higher studies in his subject.

Career

Sinha joined Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai in 1976 after returning from England and was Director of Variable Energy Cyclotron Centre,{{Cite web |url=http://www.iopb.res.in/The-Governing-Council.pdf |title=VECC and SINP |access-date=21 February 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303233201/http://www.iopb.res.in/The-Governing-Council.pdf |archive-date=3 March 2016 |url-status=dead }}{{cite news|url=http://www.indianexpress.com/res/web/pIe/ie/daily/19990302/ige02011.html|title=Post-Pokharan effect: 'Hackers missed vital info at BARC'|date=2 March 1999|work=The Indian Express|access-date=17 June 2011}}{{Cite web |date=11 August 2023 |title=Renowned nuclear physicist Bikash Sinha dies at 78 in Kolkata |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/kolkata-news/renowned-nuclear-physicist-bikash-sinha-dies-at-78-former-director-of-saha-institute-variable-energy-cyclotron-centre-101691747323278.html |access-date=11 August 2023 |website=Hindustan Times |language=en}} where he was the Homi Bhabha Chair Professor.{{cite news |title=Physicist Bikash Sinha dies at 78 |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/kolkata/physicist-bikash-sinha-dies-at-78-8888742/ |access-date=13 August 2023 |work=The Indian Express |date=12 August 2023 |language=en}}

He retired from service as the director of Variable Energy Cyclotron Centre and the Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics in June 2009.{{cite news |last1=Niyogi |first1=Subhro|last2=Mitra|first2=Prithvijit |title=Physicist, Padma Bhushan Bikash Sinha passes away |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/physicist-padma-bhushan-bikash-sinha-passes-away/articleshow/102663749.cms?from=mdr |access-date=13 August 2023 |work=The Times of India |date=12 August 2023}}

Sinha specialised in nuclear physics, high energy physics, quark–gluon plasma and early universe cosmology. He is credited with helping India achieve recognition in the global science community. He contributed to making India join the search for the Higgs boson at CERN, helping the search that lasted from 2008 to 2012, which eventually culminated with the discovery of the Higgs boson. At CERN he also worked in creating and researching quark–gluon plasma alongside searching for the Higgs Boson.{{cite news |last1=Mudur |first1=G.S. |title=Eminent physicist Bikash Sinha passes away at the age of 78 |url=https://www.telegraphindia.com/my-kolkata/news/eminent-physicist-bikash-sinha-passes-away-at-the-age-of-78/cid/1958423 |access-date=13 August 2023 |work=The Telegraph}} Sinha additionally led his team to do experiments at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider at the Brookhaven National Laboratory in the US and the Facility for Antiproton and Ion Research in Germany.

Sinha was the chairman of board of governors, National Institute of Technology, Durgapur (NIT Duragpur).{{Cite web |title=National Institute of Technology Durgapur-713209, West Bengal, India |url=https://nitdgp.ac.in/uploads/old/bog/academics/notices/2018/08/04/Minutes_of_the_33rd_BOG.pdf |website=National Institute of Technology}} He was nominated as a member of the Scientific Advisory Council to the Prime Minister from 27 January 2005. He has been re-elected for the second time as a member of the Scientific Advisory Council to the Prime Minister from December 2009.{{Cite web |url=http://sactopm.gov.in/htm/members.html |title=Prime Minister's Scientific Advisory Council |access-date=21 February 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150214035703/http://sactopm.gov.in/htm/members.html |archive-date=14 February 2015 |url-status=dead }}

Sinha died on 11 August 2023, at the age of 78, in Kolkata.[https://bangla.aajtak.in/amp/kolkata/story/bikash-sinha-dies-nuclear-scientist-bikash-sinha-passes-away-aged-78-rjk-629987-2023-08-11 Bikash Sinha Dies: প্রয়াত পরমাণু বিজ্ঞানী বিকাশ সিংহ, শোকপ্রকাশ মুখ্যমন্ত্রীর] {{in lang|bn}}{{cite news |title=Renowned nuclear physicist Bikash Sinha dies at 78 in Kolkata |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/kolkata-news/renowned-nuclear-physicist-bikash-sinha-dies-at-78-former-director-of-saha-institute-variable-energy-cyclotron-centre-101691747323278.html |access-date=13 August 2023 |work=Hindustan Times |date=11 August 2023 |language=en}}{{cite news |title=Noted physicist Bikash Sinha passes away |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/noted-physicist-bikash-sinha-passes-away/articleshow/102664267.cms |access-date=13 August 2023 |work=The Times of India |date=12 August 2023}}

Awards and honours

Sinha was the recipient of S.N. Bose Birth Centenary Award of the Indian Science Congress Association in 1994.{{Cite web |last=PTI |title=Renowned physicist Bikash Sinha passes away at 78 |url=https://www.deccanherald.com/india/renowned-physicist-bikash-sinha-passes-away-at-78-2644857 |access-date=11 August 2023 |website=Deccan Herald |language=en}} He was awarded D.A.E. – Dr. Raja Ramanna Prize 2001 and delivered the Pandya Endowment lecture Award, IPA, 2001 and Rais Ahmed Memorial Lecture Award, Aligarh, 2001.

Sinha was a member of the Visva-Bharati University's Academic Council.{{Cite web |title=Brief Resume of Prof. Bikash Sinha |url=https://visvabharati.ac.in/files/712260214_National_Science_Day_Celebration-2014.pdf |website=Visva Bharati}} He became the Fellow of the 3rd World Academy of Sciences, Italy, 2002 and Indian Academy of Sciences, Bangalore, 2004.{{Cite web |title=Indian Academy of Sciences |url=https://fellows.ias.ac.in/profile/v/FL2004019 |access-date=12 August 2023 |website=fellows.ias.ac.in}} He was elected to the fellowship of the Institute of Physics, UK. Bikash Sinha was the Vice-chancellor of West Bengal University of Technology from February 2003 to 18 December 2003 and also a member of the Scientific Advisory Committee to the Cabinet, Govt. of India in 2005.{{Cite news |date=26 December 2003 |title=Tech varsity VC quits over tiff with minister |work=The Times of India |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/tech-varsity-vc-quits-over-tiff-with-minister/articleshow/382950.cms |access-date=11 August 2023 |issn=0971-8257}} Sinha was awarded the R.D. Birla Award for Excellence in Physics in 2002.{{Cite web |title=West Bengal: Padma Bhushan awardee scientist Bikash Sinha dies |url=https://www.etvbharat.com/english/state/west-bengal/west-bengal-padma-bhushan-awardee-scientist-bikash-sinha-dies/na20230811151327626626179 |access-date=11 August 2023 |website=ETV Bharat News |date=11 August 2023 |language=en}}

The Ministry of Human Resource Development appointed Sinha as the Chairman of the Local Committee of the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Kolkata, in June 2005. He was awarded the Humboldt Research Award by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, Germany, in November 2005.{{Cite web |title=Faces and Places |url=https://www.saha.ac.in/web/library-faces-and-places |access-date=12 August 2023 |website=www.saha.ac.in}} He was awarded Meghnad Saha Memorial Lecture Award (2007) from The National Academy of Sciences, India, on 28 August 2007 and he was elected as President of the Indian Physics Association in November 2007.{{Cite web |title=Indian Physics Association |url=https://www.tifr.res.in/~ipa1970/President.php |access-date=12 August 2023 |website=www.tifr.res.in}} Sinha was elected as Fellow of the Institute of Physics, London, in 2009.

Sinha was conferred the Padma Bhushan Award in 2010 for his significant contribution in science and technology.{{cite web|title=Padma Awards (2010)|url=http://padmaawards.gov.in:8888/?Name=Bikash%20Sinha&Award=Padma%20Bhushan|website=padmaawards.gov.in|access-date=27 September 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161001175408/http://padmaawards.gov.in:8888/?Name=Bikash%20Sinha&Award=Padma%20Bhushan|archive-date=1 October 2016|url-status=dead}}{{Cite web |date=11 August 2023 |title=Scientist Bikash Sinha passes away; Mamata saddened |url=http://www.uniindia.com/scientist-bikash-sinha-passes-away-mamata-saddened/east/news/3028789.html |website=United News of India}} He also received the Padma Shri in 2001.{{cite web |url=http://mha.nic.in/sites/upload_files/mha/files/LST-PDAWD-2013.pdf |title=Padma Awards |publisher=Padma Awards |date=2014 |access-date=11 November 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151015193758/http://mha.nic.in/sites/upload_files/mha/files/LST-PDAWD-2013.pdf |archive-date=15 October 2015 }}

He was made a fellow of the Indian National Science Academy due to his research in Physics (1989). He was also a Fellow of National Academy of Sciences, Allahabad (1993) and the Indian Academy of Sciences, Bangalore (2004).{{Cite web |title=Prof. Bikash Chandra Sinha |url=https://fellows.ias.ac.in/profile/v/FL2004019 |access-date=11 August 2023 |website=Indian Academy of Sciences}}

He was also awarded an Honorary Doctorate from Netaji Subhas Open University in 2013, and National Institute of Technology Agartala in 2013.{{Cite web |title=NIT Agartala to confer D.Sc on CERN chief |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/education-today/news/story/nit-agartala-to-confer-dsc-on-cern-chief-167102-2013-06-17 |access-date=12 August 2023 |website=India Today |date=18 June 2013 |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Third Acharya Jagadish Chandra Bose Memorial Lecture |url=http://www.wbnsou.ac.in/bulletin_board/news-event/2013/memolectofsoofscncon23mrc19032012.pdf |website=Netaji Subhas Open University}}