Rajinder Kumar (chemical engineer)

{{Infobox scientist

| name = Rajinder Kumar

| image =

| alt =

| caption =

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1934|9|9}}

| birth_place = Punjab, India

| death_date = 7 February 2022

| death_place = Bengaluru

| nationality =

| fields = {{ublist | Hydrodynamics | Multiphase phenomena }}

| workplaces = {{ublist | Indian Institute of Science | Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research }}

| alma_mater = {{ublist | Panjab University | Delhi Technological University | Indian Institute of Science }}

| doctoral_advisor = {{ublist| E. Weingaertner | R. L. Datta }}

| doctoral_students =

| known_for = Modelling of multiphase phenomena

| awards = {{ublist|1976 Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize | 1985 IIChE Herdilia Award | 1986 VASVIK Award | 1988 MSUoB K. G. Naik Gold Medal | 1989 INSA Syed Hussain Zaheer Medal | 1991 Om Prakash Bhasin Award | 1991 IISc Alumnus Award | 1991 FICCI Award | 1997 INSA Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Medal | 2003 Padma Bhushan | 2008 IIChE Lifetime Achievement Award }}

}}

Rajinder Kumar (born 1934) is an Indian chemical engineer and a former professor at the Indian Institute of Science.{{Cite web |url=http://www.insaindia.res.in/pdf/YearBook_2016.pdf |title=The Year Book 2016 |date=2016 |publisher=Indian National Science Academy}} He is known for his studies on multiphase phenomena{{Cite web |url=http://ssbprize.gov.in/content/Detail.aspx?AID=162 |title=Brief Profile of the Awardee |date=2016 |publisher=Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize |access-date=12 November 2016}} and is an elected fellow of the Indian National Science Academy,{{Cite web |url=http://insaindia.res.in/detail.php?id=N85-0910 |title=Indian fellow |date=2016 |publisher=Indian National Science Academy}} Indian Academy of Sciences,{{Cite web |url=http://www.ias.ac.in/describe/fellow/Kumar,_Prof._Rajinder |title=Fellow profile |date=2016 |publisher=Indian Academy of Sciences}} and the Indian National Academy of Engineering.{{Cite web |url=https://inae.in/search-of-fellows/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150403030936/http://inae.in/search-of-fellows/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=3 April 2015 |title=INAE fellows |date=2016 |publisher=Indian National Academy of Engineers }} The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, the apex agency of the Government of India for scientific research, awarded him the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize for Science and Technology, one of the highest Indian science awards for his contributions to Engineering Sciences in 1976.{{cite web | url=http://ssbprize.gov.in/Content/AwardeeList.aspx | title=View Bhatnagar Awardees | publisher=Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize | date=2016 | access-date=12 November 2016}}{{Refn|group=note|Long link - please select award year to see details}} He received the third highest Indian civilian award of the Padma Bhushan in 2003.{{cite web |url=http://mha.nic.in/sites/upload_files/mha/files/LST-PDAWD-2013.pdf |title=Padma Awards |publisher=Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India |date=2016 |access-date=13 September 2016 |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 is also a recipient of Om Prakash Bhasin Award{{Cite web |url=http://www.opbfawards.com/engineering.html |title=OPB Award |date=2016 |publisher=Om Prakash Bhasin Foundation |access-date=14 January 2017 |archive-date=4 March 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120304133636/http://www.opbfawards.com/engineering.html |url-status=dead }} and the VASVIK Industrial Research Award.{{Cite web |url=http://www.vasvik.org/chemical_sciences_%26_technology.html |title=Vasvik Award |date=2016 |publisher=Vasvik |access-date=14 January 2017 |archive-date=2 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201102124207/http://www.vasvik.org/chemical_sciences_%26_technology.html |url-status=dead }}

Biography

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Rajinder Kumar, born on 9 September 1934 in the Indian state of Punjab, graduated in science (BSc hons) from Punjab University, Chandigarh in 1954 and did his master's degree at Delhi Technological University (then known as Delhi Polytechnic) to receive his degree of MSc Tech from Punjab University in 1955.{{Cite web |url=http://chemeng.iisc.ac.in/chemeweb/faculty_kumar.htm |title=Faculty profile |date=2016 |publisher=Indian Institute of Science}} He joined the Indian Institute of Science in 1958 as a junior research assistant and simultaneously did his doctoral studies under the guidance of E. Weingaertner and R. L. Datta but submitted his thesis at Punjab University to secure a PhD in 1965. He served IISc in various capacities,{{Cite web |url=http://chemeng.iisc.ac.in/chemeweb/inmemory.htm |title=Former Faculty |date=2016 |publisher=Indian Institute of Science}} as a lecturer (1963–67), assistant professor (1967–70), professor (from 1970) and at the time of his superannuation in 1995, he was holding the position of Divisional Chairman and Dean. He was also a member of the Internal Review Committee of the IISc in 2014.{{Cite web |url=https://www.iitsystem.ac.in/externalpeers/internalreview/5 |title=Internal Review Committee |date=2016 |publisher=Indian Institute of Science}} Post-retirement, he serves as an honorary professor at Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research.

Legacy

Focusing his studies mainly on multiphase phenomena, Kumar is known to have done extensive researches on hydrodynamics and mass transfer in multiphase systems.{{cite web | url=http://www.csirhrdg.res.in/ssb.pdf | title=Handbook of Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize Winners | publisher=Council of Scientific and Industrial Research | date=1999}} He developed a two-stage model of bubble formation from single submerged nozzles which clarified the discrepancies in experimental data and is in use with industrially–relevant distributors. He developed a set of performance prediction protocols to be employed in foam bed contactors and batch sonochemical reactors. He also contributed to the development of a large scale fluidized bed reactor by which copper sulphate is manufactured directly from chalcopyrites. His researches have been documented in several peer-reviewed articles;{{Refn|group=note|Please see Selected articles section}} the online article repository of Indian Academy of Sciences has listed 63 of them.{{Cite web |url=http://repository.ias.ac.in/view/fellows/Kumar=3ARajinder=3A=3A.html |title=Browse by Fellow |date=2016 |publisher=Indian Academy of Sciences}} He sat in the Society and the Governing Body of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research and has been associated with government departments and agencies such as the Department of Science and Technology, Indian Council of Medical Research, National Digital Research Centre and National Innovation Foundation as a member of their various committees. He was a member of the Indian National Science Academy Council in 1990 and held the vice-president's chair during 1991–92.

Awards and honors

The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research awarded Kumar the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize, one of the highest Indian science awards in 1976{{Cite web |url=http://www.csir.res.in/external/heads/career/award/BPRIZE/Engineering_SCIENCES.htm |title=Engineering Sciences |date=2016 |publisher=Council of Scientific and Industrial Research |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150923211647/http://www.csir.res.in/external/heads/career/award/BPRIZE/Engineering_SCIENCES.htm |archive-date=23 September 2015 |df=dmy-all }} and the Indian Institute of Chemical Engineers awarded him the Herdilia Award in 1985.{{Cite web |url=http://chemeng.iisc.ac.in/chemeweb/images/pdf/ChemEbrochure.pdf |title=Awards |date=2016 |publisher=Chemical Engineering brochure - IISc}} A year later, he received the VASVIK Industrial Research Award followed by the K. G. Naik Gold Medal of the Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda in 1988. The Indian National Science Academy selected him for the Syed Hussain Zaheer Medal in 1989;{{Cite web |url=http://insaindia.res.in/recipients.php#78 |title=The Syed Husain Zaheer Medal |date=2016 |publisher=Indian National Science Academy |access-date=14 January 2017 |archive-date=16 September 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160916233840/http://insaindia.res.in/recipients.php#78 |url-status=dead }} INSA would honor him again in 1997 with Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Medal{{Cite web |url=http://insaindia.res.in/recipients.php#abs |title=The Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Medal |date=2016 |publisher=Indian National Science Academy |access-date=14 January 2017 |archive-date=16 September 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160916233840/http://insaindia.res.in/recipients.php#abs |url-status=dead }} The year 1991 brought him three awards, Om Prakash Bhasin Award, FICCI Award and Alumnus Award for excellence in research of the Indian Institute of Science.{{Cite web |url=http://www.iisc.ac.in/institute-awards/alumni-award-for-excellence-in-research-in-scienceengineering/ |title=IISc Alumnus Award |date=2016 |publisher=IISc Alumni Association}}{{Refn|group=note|He shared the IISC Alumnus Award in its inaugural year with Padmanabhan Balaram}} The Government of India included him in the 2003 Republic Day honors list for the third highest civilian award of the Padma Bhushan. In 2008, the Indian Institute of Chemical Engineers awarded him the Lifetime Achievement Award.{{Cite web |url=http://www.iiche.org.in/lifetimeawards.php |title=IIChE Lifetime Achievement Award |date=2016 |publisher=Indian Institute of Chemical Engineers}}

Kumar held the Jawaharlal Nehru Birth Centenary Visiting Fellowship of INSA in 1995.{{Cite web |url=http://insaindia.res.in/international2.php |title=Jawaharlal Nehru Birth Centenary visiting Fellowship Awardees |date=2016 |publisher=Indian National Science Academy}} The Indian Academy of Sciences elected him as a fellow in 1979 and he became an elected fellow of the Indian National Science Academy in 1985. He is also an elected fellow of the Indian National Academy of Engineering. The list of award orations delivered by him include Professor N.R. Dhar Memorial Lecture of the National Academy of Sciences, India.{{Cite web |url=http://www.nasi.org.in/leca.htm |title=Professor N.R. Dhar Memorial Lecture |date=2016 |publisher=National Academy of Sciences, India |access-date=14 January 2017 |archive-date=13 April 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150413015954/http://www.nasi.org.in/leca.htm |url-status=dead }}

Selected bibliography

{{Cite journal |author1=Basu, Suddhasatwa |author2=Kumar, R. |author3=Gandhi, K. S. |title=Detachment of a coalesced-phase blod from a circular obstacle in a Hele-Shaw cell |journal=Chemical Engineering Science |publication-date=1997 |volume=52 |issue=16 |pages=2849–2855 |doi=10.1016/S0009-2509(97)00092-4|bibcode=1997ChEnS..52.2849B }}
{{Cite journal |author1=Rajan, R. |author2=Kumar, R. |author3=Gandhi, K. S. |title=Modelling of sonochemical oxidation of the water-KI-CCl4 system |journal=Chemical Engineering Science |publication-date=1998 |volume=53 |issue=2 |pages=255–271 |doi=10.1016/S0009-2509(97)00211-X}}
{{Cite journal |author1=Niyogi, Debdarsan |author2=Kumar, R. |author3=Gandhi, K. S. |title=Water blown free rise polyurethane foams |journal=Polymer Engineering & Science |publication-date=1999 |volume=39 |issue=1 |pages=199–209 |doi=10.1002/pen.11408}}
{{Cite journal |author1=Bandyopadhyaya, Rajdip |author2=Kumar, R. |author3=Gandhi, K. S. |title=Simulation of precipitation reactions in reverse micelles |journal=Langmuir |publication-date=2000 |volume=16 |issue=18 |pages=7139–7149 |doi=10.1021/la000101a}}
{{Cite journal |author1=Bhattacharjee, Samita |author2=Kumar, R. |author3=Gandhi, K. S. |title=Modelling of protein mixture separation in a batch foam column |journal=Chemical Engineering Science |publication-date=2001 |volume=56 |issue=19 |pages=5499–5510 |doi=10.1016/S0009-2509(01)00156-7|bibcode=2001ChEnS..56.5499B }}