Vasant R. Gowariker | |
|---|---|
 Vasant Ranchhod Gowariker | |
| Born | (1933-03-25)25 March 1933 |
| Died | 2 January 2015(2015-01-02) (aged 81) Pune,Maharashtra, India |
| Occupation | Scientist |
| Spouse | Sudha Gowariker |
| Children | Irawati, Ashwini, Kalyani |
Vasant Ranchhod Gowariker (25 March 1933 – 2 January 2015) was an Indian scientist. He was a director in theIndian Space Research Organization and also the scientificadvisor to thePrime Minister of India from 1991 to 1993. Gowariker made valuable contributions to the fields ofspace research,weather andpopulation. He was well known for his monsoon forecast model as he was the first scientist to develop an indigenousweather forecasting model that predicted themonsoon correctly.[1][2]
Gowariker was born inPoona,British India on 25 March 1933 in Maharashtrianfamily. After hisschooling andgraduation fromKolhapur district inWestern Maharashtra, he embarked on his scientific odyssey toEngland in the early 1950s. He obtained hisM.Sc. andPh.D. inchemical engineering, supervised by F. H. Garner. Hiscollaboration resulted in the Garner-Gowarikertheory, which was a novel analysis ofheat andmass transfer betweensolids andfluid.[3]
He had worked with theIndian Space Research Organisation.[4] Gowariker was involved in space research in early career underVikram Sarabhai when his office was in the building of the local St Mary Magdalene Church inThumba inKerala. He pioneeredsolid propellant development and later served as Director of theVikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) between 1979 and 1985.[5]
Gowariker also served as the scientific advisor toPrime Minister of IndiaP.V. Narasimha Rao from 1991 to 1993. He had also been theSecretary ofDepartment of Science and Technology.[6]
He was appointed asVice-Chancellor,Pune University and waschairman of the Marathi Vidnyan Parishad between 1994 and 2000. Gowariker, along with his associates, also compiledThe Fertilizer Encyclopedia (2008) that featured 4,500 entries detailing thechemical composition offertilizers, and containing information on everything from theirmanufacturing and application to their economic and environmental considerations.[7]
Gowarikar died on 2 January 2015 atDeenanath Mangeshkar Hospital, Pune,India followingdengue andurinary tract infections.[8][2][9]
| Government offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Director,Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre 1979 - 1985 | Succeeded by Suresh Chandra Gupta |
