Assam: Eminent scientist Dr. Gaurangdhar Baruah passes away

A Correspondent

DOOMDOOMA: Dr. Gaurangdhar Baruah (81), an internationally renowned optical scientist and former Professor of Physics, Dibrugarh University, passed away at his residence at Uchamati Bharat Bhumij Road of the town on Wednesday night.   

He is survived by his wife Dipti Barua (Rajkonwar), one son and two daughters. Professor Baruah was born on March 1, 1943 in Daimukhia tea estate near Doomdooma to late Golok Chandra Baruah and late Bindu Basini Baruah, a former teacher of Daimukhia TE  Primary School.

An alumni of Hoonlal HS School, Doomdooma, he passed the Matriculation Examination in 1957 with first division and,  ISC from Jagannath Baruah College, Jorhat in 1959. He did his BSc from Cotton College (now Cotton University) in 1962 and qualified his MSc degree in Physics with first class from Gauhati University in 1964.

Then after spending some time in association with Nobel laureate Sir C V Raman in his laboratory in Bangalore, he went to Banaras Hindu University (BHU) as per his advice to do research in Molecular Spectroscopy and obtained his Ph D degree in 1969. He joined the faculty of Physics Department, Dibrugarh University(DU) in 1973 and taught there until 2008.

Along with teaching, he conducted research in molecular spectroscopy, LASER physics and quantum optics and published more than 300 papers in prestigious national and international journals of repute. Besides this, he produced more than 40 PhD degree holder research scholars under his supervision.

He came to the prominence after doing high-quality research in the discovery of biological phenomenon known as “Parkinje effect and bioluminescence of fireflies,” which was able to attract the attention of scientific community around the world.

He has also published several text books that are useful to university students and research scholars. He  presided over the Physics Section of the 85th session of Indian Science Congress held in Hyderabad in 1997. Again he was nominated as an Emeritus Fellow of the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) in 2005-2008 and UGC nominee for 2008-2011.

His death cast a pall of gloom in Tinsukia and Dibrugarh districts and was widely mourned by individuals/organisations like MLA Rupesh Gowala, DC, Tinsukia District Swapneel Paul, Doomdooma Co-District Commissioner Nuzhat Nasreen, Assam Science Society, Doomdooma Branch, Doomdooma Sakha Satadol SakhaXahitya Xabha, Doomdooma Press Club, Doomdooma Asamiya Puja Aru  Natya Mandir  Samiti , Doomdooma Namghar Samiti, Doomdooma Senior Citizens’  Association, Hoonlal Higher Secondary School, Doomdooma College, Doomdooma Satadol Sakha Xahitya Xabha, Doomdooma Sakha Lekhika Samaroh Samiti, Ramdhenu Mahila Chora, Doomdooma and offered their floral tributes.

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