Asok Kumar Barua (A.K.Barua) | |
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Born | |
Died | 30 May 2021 Kolkata, West Bengal, India | (aged 84)
Alma mater |
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Occupation | Condensed matter physicist |
Years active | Since 1964 |
Known for | Solar Photovoltaics, Optics and Optoelectronics |
Awards |
Padma Shri Distinguished Materials Scientist of the Year Award Photovoltaic Science and Engineering Conference Award ICSC-Materials Science prize |
Asok Kumar Barua (1 July 1936 – 30 May 2021) was an Indian condensed matter physicist and the honorary Emeritus Professor of Indian Institute of Engineering Science and Technology, Shibpur, [1] [2] who focused on research in optics and optoelectronics. [3] He was honoured by the Government of India in 2003 with Padma Shri, the fourth highest Indian civilian award. [4]
Asok Kumar Barua was born on 1 July 1936 [5] in Kolkata in the Indian state of West Bengal. [1] He did his schooling at Hare School and graduated in Physics with honours from the Presidency College, Kolkata. [1] [6] His masters studies were at the Rajabazar Science College, Kolkata University (1956) after which he secured his PhD [5] in 1960 [6] from the Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science (IACS) under the guidance of Professor B. N. Srivastava. [1] After completing his post doctoral research in USA, he started his career in 1964 by joining IACS [5] as a Reader where he became a professor in 1971, [7] a director in 1982 and worked there till 1989. [1] [6] [8]
Barua had done research in optics and optoelectronics and had been credited with the indigenous development of amorphous silicon (a-Si) solar cells and solar modules [6] [9] including production technology and equipment. [1] He was also known to have developed a process for Radar opaque coating of aircraft canopies and windshields. [1] His researches have been documented by way of over 300 scientific papers published in peer reviewed journals of international stature. [1] [3] [6] He had also mentored several students in their doctoral research. [1] [6] [7]
An honorary professor of the Indian Institute of Engineering Science and Technology, Shibpur [2] from 2010-2018, [1] Barua was an elected fellow of the Indian Academy of Sciences, Bangalore [10] and the West Bengal Academy of Science and Technology. [5] [6] [7] [9] [11] He had held the chair of the Research and Development committee of the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission on solar photovoltaics. [1] He had been a member of the Task Force on Solar Research Initiatives set up by the Department of Science and Technology. [1] [5] [6] [7] He had served the Asia Pacific Academy of Materials as its member, [1] the Sixth International Photovoltaic Science and Engineering Conference as its chairman, [7] the Indian Physical Society as its president [7] and Birla Industrial and Technological Museum as the chairman of its governing council. [5] [6] He was also associated with Hhv Center For Advanced Photovoltaic Technologies as an additional director. [12]
Barua received the Distinguished Materials Scientist of the Year Award in 2002 from the Materials Research Society of India. [1] [6] The Government of India honoured him in 2003 with the civilian award of Padma Shri. He was also a recipient of the Photovoltaic Science and Engineering Conference Award from the Solar Energy Society of India [6] and ICSC-Materials Science prize of the Materials Research Society of India. [5]
Barua died from COVID-19 in Kolkata on 30 May 2021, at the age of 84. [13]