Yash Pal

Some Lesser Known Facts About Yash Pal

• Did Yash Pal smoke?: Yes 

• Did Yash Pal drink alcohol?: Not Known

• He was born in Jhang district (Punjab Province, Pakistan).

• He was brought up in Pai, Kaithal, Haryana.

• After completing his Masters in Physics from Panjab University in 1949, he moved to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to pursue his Ph.D. in Physics.

• He started his career as a member of the “Cosmic Rays Group” at the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), Bombay (now Mumbai).

• In 1973, Yash Pal became the first Director of the Space Application Centre, Ahmedabad.

• During his tenure as the Chairman of UGC, Yash Pal advocated the setting up of Inter-University Centres.

• In 1993, he chaired the National Advisory Committee set up by the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD), Government of India. The Committee’s report, entitled “Learning Without Burden,” is considered a seminal document in the Indian School Education.

• He was also asked to chair the NCERT’s National Curriculum Framework.

• In 2009, to examine the reform of Higher Education in India, MHRD set up a Committee known as Yash Pal Committee.

• He became popular after his regular appearances in Doordarshan’s science programme “Turning Point” in which he used to explain scientific concepts in layman’s language.

• Yash Pal used to answer reader’s questions in a column of the Indian English daily The Tribune.

• On 24 July 2017, he died of age old ailments after being admitted to the Max Hospital in Noida. Earlier, he had battled with lung cancer. However, he overcame the disease around five years ago to his death.

• Here’s the story of Yash Pal’s life in his own words: