Mahendra Singh Sodha

M. S. Sodha, born in 8 Feb 1932,[4] secured his master's degree (MSc) in physics in 1951 from Allahabad University and started his career as a junior scientist by joining the Defence Science Laboratory, New Delhi, present day Laser Science and Technology Centre, in 1953.[1] During the same period, he pursued his doctoral studies and obtained a doctoral degree (DPhil)[4] in 1955 from the same university.[1][5] He continued at DSL till 1956 and moved to the University of British Columbia, Canada as a post doctoral fellow to stay there till 1958,[1] when he shifted to USA, to work as senior scientist at the Armour Research Foundation, Chicago, till 1961 and then as a senior scientist and chief of physics at the Republic Aviation Company, New York.[1][5] In 1964, he returned to India to and joined the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi as the professor where he rose in ranks to become the dean, head of the department and finally, a deputy director of the institution till his retirement in 1992.[1][5] During this period, he also served as the vice chancellor of Devi Ahilya University from 1988 to 1992.[1][4][5] In 1992, he was appointed as the vice chancellor of Lucknow University for a three-year term from 1992 to 1995 and, later, at the Barkatullah University from 1998 to 2000.[1][4][5] He has also served as a visiting professor at Drexel University and is a visiting professor and Ramanna Fellow of Lucknow University.[1][5]

Sodha has done extensive research in the physical science disciplines of plasma and energy.[2] He is credited with pioneering researches on colloidal plasmas, optics and Akhamanov's formulation and he presented papers on quantitative theory of image formation in layered media.[1] His book, Microwave Propagation in Ferrimagnetics[6] is reported to be the first book on the subject. He has also published 13 books[5] including Solar Crop Drying,[7] Solar Distillation[8] and Solar Passive Building: Science and Design[9] and had edited a book, Sodha Reviews of Renewable Energy Resources.[10] He has also published over 500 research papers[5][11][12] in peer reviewed journals[13][14] and mentored several students for their doctoral studies.[1][5]

Sodha contributed to the establishment of divisions such as the Centre of Energy Studies and Research, Opto-Electronics Group and Plasma Physics Group at the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi.[1] During his tenure as the vice chancellor of Lucknow University and Devi Ahilya Vishwavidyalaya, he was instrumental in introducing self-financing as an option for academic studies[1] and reportedly played a part in the establishment of Faculty of Engineering Science at Devi Ahalya Vishavidyalaya.[5] He served as the president of Plasma Science Society of India and Optical Society of India.[1]

Sodha is an elected fellow of the Indian National Science Academy[1] and the National Academy of Sciences, India.[4][5] He achieved the highest Indian science award, Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize for Physics in 1974.[1][2][5] Four years later, he received Hari Om Prerit S. S. Bhatnagar Award[5] followed by the Pioneer in Renewable Energy Award from the World Renewable Energy Network and UNESCO in 2002.[1] The Government of India honoured him in 2003 with the civilian award of Padma Shri.[3] He received Dr. K. S. Rao Memorial National Award in 2004.[1] Sodha was felicitated by the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi on 21 March 2011 at the Honour the Mentor program.[15]

• M. S. Sodha (1987). Solar Crop Drying. CRC Press. p. 208. ISBN 9780849368837.
• M. A. S. Malik; G. N. Tiwari; A. Kumar; M. S. Sodha (1982). Solar Distillation. Oxford University Press. ISBN 9788122402070.
• M. S. Sodha (Author), N. K. Bansal (Contributor) (1986). Solar Passive Building: Science and Design. Pergamon Press. p. 500. ISBN 978-0080305509.
• M. S. Sodha (1984). Sodha Reviews of Renewable Energy Resources. John Wiley and Sons. p. 564. ISBN 978-0852268445.
• Mahendra Singh Sodha (2014). Kinetics of Complex Plasmas. Springer Series on Atomic, Optical, and Plasma Physics. 18. doi:10.1007/978-81-322-1820-3. ISBN 978-81-322-1819-7.
• M. S. Sodha; A. K. Ghatak; P. S. Malik (1971). "Electromagnetic Wave Propagation in Radially and Axially Nonuniform Media: Geometrical-Optics Approximation". JOSA. 61 (11): 1492–94. doi:10.1364/JOSA.61.001492.
• M. S. Sodha; N. Srivastava (1981). Microwave Propagation in Ferrimagnetics. Plenum Press. ISBN 978-0306407161.

• "PubFacts Link". PubFacts. 2015. Retrieved 11 February 2015.
• "Springer Link - M. S. Sodha". Springer. 2015. Retrieved 11 February 2015.