Dr. Palash Baran Pal is a distinguished theoretical physicist and Emeritus Professor in the Physics Department of Science College at Calcutta University, Kolkata, with a career spanning several decades in fundamental physics research. Born in 1955, he received his Bachelor of Science degree from the prestigious Presidency College, Calcutta University in 1975, followed by a Master of Science degree from the Science College campus of Calcutta University in 1979. After returning to India from postgraduate studies, he served as a professor at the Indian Institute of Astrophysics in Bangalore from 1994 to 1997 before joining the Theory Division of the Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics in Kolkata, where he remained until his retirement in September 2017. His academic journey reflects a deep commitment to advancing theoretical physics in India while bridging international research communities through extensive scholarly collaborations.
Dr. Pal's seminal contributions to particle physics, particularly in the specialized areas of neutrino physics and the relativistic treatment of particle properties in matter, have earned him significant recognition within the global physics community. His pioneering theoretical work on massive neutrinos, which requires physics beyond the Standard Model, has provided crucial frameworks for understanding fundamental particle interactions in various media. Beyond his technical research, he has authored influential textbooks in physics that have shaped curricula and inspired generations of students across India. His intellectual contributions extend beyond academia as he was the first to create digital Bengali fonts for IBM PC, a precursor to MS Windows, demonstrating his commitment to bridging scientific knowledge with linguistic accessibility in his native language.
As an Emeritus Professor at Calcutta University and a SERB Senior Scientist, Dr. Pal continues to influence physics education and research through his scholarly writings and mentorship activities. His efforts to popularize science through numerous publications in Bengali have made complex scientific concepts accessible to a wider audience, fostering greater public understanding of physics. Dr. Pal's distinguished career has been recognized with prestigious awards including the 2004 Rabindra Smriti Puroshkar and the 2011 Ramendra Sundar Smriti Puroshkar for his contributions to both science and Bengali literature. His ongoing work continues to bridge the gap between advanced theoretical physics and cultural expression, maintaining his position as a respected elder statesman in the Indian physics community whose legacy encompasses both scientific rigor and cultural enrichment.
