CSIR-National Physical Laboratory, New Delhi conducts Dr. K. S. Krishnan Memorial Lecture

CSIR-National Physical Laboratory, New Delhi conducts Dr. K. S. Krishnan Memorial Lecture

To commemorate the outstanding contributions of its Founder Director, Dr. K. S. Krishnan, the CSIR-National Physical Laboratory (CSIR-NPL), New Delhi, organises a series of Dr. K. S. Krishnan Memorial Lectures every year. CSIR-NPL is one of the premier national research laboratories under the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Government of India. Since 1965, this lecture series has honoured Dr. K. S. Krishnan’s pioneering contributions to science and technology by inviting eminent scientists of national and international repute to deliver lectures. Over the years, this prestigious platform has hosted numerous Nobel Laureates and distinguished scientific leaders.

This year, the Dr. K. S. Krishnan Memorial Lecture was held on 16th June 2025 and also marked the celebration of the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology 2025. Prof. Ganapathy Baskaran, Distinguished Professor at IIT Madras, Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics, Canada, and Matscience, Chennai, graced the occasion as the Chief Guest and delivered the memorial lecture.

Dr. Nita Dilawar, Director’s representative, CSIR-NPL highlighted Dr. K. S. Krishnan’s remarkable contributions to Indian science and technology. She emphasised the vital role of metrology in industrial growth, global trade, and societal development, and underscored the importance of quantum science and its impact on modern metrology. She also elaborated on the significant contributions of CSIR and CSIR-NPL towards the nation’s scientific and technological advancement.

Delivering the Dr. K. S. Krishnan Memorial Lecture titled “Prediction of Room Temperature Superconductivity in Graphite, K. S. Krishnan’s Favourite Mineral”, Prof. Ganapathy Baskaran paid tribute to Dr. Krishnan’s legacy, reflecting on his groundbreaking work in light scattering, magnetic susceptibility, quantum mechanics, thermionics, heat conductivity, and resistivity of alloys. He elaborated on the fascinating properties of graphite and carbon-based materials and explored the physics underpinning their superconductivity. Prof. Baskaran explained the Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer (BCS) and Resonating Valence Bond (RVB) theories of superconductivity and described how room temperature superconductivity in doped graphene and graphite can be better understood through the RVB theory.

As part of the Dr. K. S. Krishnan Memorial Lecture programme, CSIR-NPL also organised a “Workshop on Quantum Metrology, Materials and Technologies” on 10th June 2025. The Chief Guest of the workshop was Prof. T. Ramasami, Former Secretary, Department of Science and Technology, Government of India, and Chairman, K. S. Krishnan Memorial Trust. Research scholars and school internship students of CSIR-NPL actively participated in the workshop, presenting their research findings and topics of interest. During the memorial lecture event, 13 outstanding research scholars and school students were honoured with Best Presentation Awards in recognition of their exemplary contributions.