Eminent scientist, academic Prof Yash Pal dead at 90

A physicist of international repute, he  was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 1976 and the Padma Vibhushan, in 2013.

Condoling his death, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said : "Pained by Professor Yash Pal's demise. We have lost a brilliant scientist & academician who made a lasting contribution to Indian education."

Pal  began his career at Tata Institute of Fundamental Research in Mumbai. To pursue his PhD, Pal went to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in United States and completed it in the year 1958 after which he again returned to the Tata Institute, where he remained until 1983.

Pal made significant contributions to bring reforms in education and in the study of cosmic rays, astrophysics, and high-energy physics, among other things.

He was  appointed in several schools and higher education reforms committees by the Government, according to The Times of India.

He was also the Chancellor of Jawaharlal Nehru University from 2007 to 2012. The human resources development ministry in 2009 set up a committee on higher education naming after him, the Yash Pal Committee, which Yash Pal chaired, to reform higher education in the country.

he was the first Director of Space Applications Centre in Ahmedabad and was awarded the Kalinga Prize by UNESCO for the popularisation of science in 2009.

Pal also served as the Chief Consultant of the Planning Commission (now NITI Aayog) between 1983 and 84 and also acted as the Secretary of Department of Science and Technology, from 1984 to 1986.