HYDERABAD: Several people bid farewell to Professor Palle Rama Rao, recipient of the Padma Vibhushan, who passed away on Sunday. His last rites were conducted in Hyderabad on Monday. He was 89.
Born on June 30, 1937, Rama Rao was renowned for his contributions to physical and mechanical metallurgy. He received the Padma Vibhushan in 2011.
Rama Rao served as director of the Defence Metallurgical Research Laboratory (DMRL); secretary to the Government of India in the Department of Science and Technology and Department of Ocean Development; chairman of the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB); member of the Atomic Energy Commission; and chairman, Governing Council, ARCI; and distinguished scientist at the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
He also served as vice-chancellor of the University of Hyderabad from 1999 to 2002. The University of Hyderabad mourned his death, describing him as “an extraordinary scientist, a visionary leader and a beloved mentor”. In a statement, the university said,
“As vice-chancellor, he led the University with academic rigour, integrity and a deeply humane touch. He championed interdisciplinary research and institutional growth, and he listened to every student and colleague without judgement. The foundations he laid continue to guide us.”
Rama Rao studied in Telugu medium at Kurnool Municipal High School in Andhra Pradesh. He completed MA in Physics from Madras University, an MSc in Nuclear Physics from Andhra University and a PhD in Metallurgy from the Institute of Technology, BHU (now IIT-BHU).
He began his career at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, in 1960 and later became a professor of physical metallurgy at IIT-BHU, Varanasi.
Rama Rao also played a key role in developing the Heavy Alloy Penetrator Plant at the Ordnance Factory in Tiruchirappalli using indigenous technological expertise.
