Indian scientist Ashoke Sen bags top physics honour
Ashoke, an unassuming Indian scientist in Allahabad has won the world's biggest prize in physics . Ashoke Sen, a professor at the little known but exclusive Harish-Chandra Research Institute , Allahabad , was on Tuesday declared one of the winners of the first Fundamental Physics prize started by Russian billionaire Yuri Milner.
Sen and eight other scientists will get $3 million each — double of what is given with the Nobel prize. Seven of the winners are based in the United States, one in France and one in India. Sen has been awarded for his pioneering work on string theory.
Yuri Milner made billions from investments in various internet-based companies after giving up his job as researcher at Moscow's Lebedev Physical Institute. He personally selected the winners of this year's award but in future the work would be done by a panel, he told media.
Sen is considered one of the original contributors to string theory, a complex mathematical construct which is meant to resolve one of science's biggest mysteries —that gravity as explained by Einstein does not fit in with quantum theory.
Scientists in India, especially string theory practitioners in Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata were overjoyed. Sunil Mukhi, chair of theoretical physics at Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai, said, "It should be noted that he is the only Indian among the nine awardees. That shows his world stature, and India's too," he added.
Sen studied in Shailendra Sircar Vidyalaya, and then Presidency College, in Kolkata before going to IITKanpur in 1976. He got his doctorate from State University of New York, Stonybrook and then worked at Fermilab and Stanford before returning to India.
Prof. Sen is a rare scientist who chose to return to India after post doctoral work at prestigious institutes abroad. He said he did not miss the rarefied peer group that often makes the pursuit of academics abroad enriching.
“When I came back in 1995, I did feel a little isolated initially but that is no longer the case now. The Internet has made all possible information accessible, and in terms of a peer group I have quite a good academic circle among colleagues at the Harish Chandra Research Institute,” he said.
“As far as research funding is considered, fortunately theoretical physics hardly requires any, so I never felt any such need. The overall government and institutional support has been good enough for my work.”
Prof. Sen is optimistic about research in India.
“While one expects many more scientists and more research work, I must add that there are several small pockets in the country where great research is being done, and which can replicate the success of scientists in other countries. We do, however, need to set up many more institutes in order to attract more students to science and to hone their talent,” he said.
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