[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]He was known for significant contributions in education reforms; made astrophysics popular among the masses through his television series on Doordarshan in the 1980s.

Eminent academician and astrophysicist of international repute, Professor Yash Pal passed away, on Tuesday morning, at a private hospital in Noida. He was 90- years old. Pal had recovered from lung cancer some years ago. He had been rushed to the private hospital due to “old-age related health complications”, said sources, adding that he breathed his last early Tuesday morning.

Politicians, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress president Sonia Gandhi, academicians and people from the scientific community have mourned Pal’s demise.

In a series of tweets condoling Pal’s death, the Prime Minister recalled his “lasting contribution to Indian education”.[/vc_column_text][vc_raw_html]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[/vc_raw_html][vc_column_text]Born in 1926 in Jhang district of British India (now in the Punjab province of Pakistan), Pal had completed his PhD in 1958 from Massachusetts Institute of Technology with specialisation in high-energy physics, astrophysics, communication, and science policy and space technology.

He won the Padma Bhushan way back in 1976 and was then conferred the Padma Vibhushan in 2013, for his glorious contributions in the fields of science and academics. Pal was credited with turning the complex subject of science, especially astrophysics, into a drawing room chatter through his popular show ‘Turning Point’ that aired on Doordarshan during the 1980s and ‘90s.

Known among his friends and colleagues for his calm demeanor, sharp wit, friendly advice and a feisty commitment towards science, Pal had become a household name when his televised science series ‘Turning Point’ began airing on Doordarshan in the late 1980s. Through an illustrious career as a scientist and academician that earned him recognition internationally, Pal had held several important positions, including those of professor at the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research in Mumbai and Director at the Space Applications Centre in Ahmedabad between 1973 and 1981.

Pal had also served as the Chief Consultant to the Planning Commission in 1983-84 then as Secretary in the Department of Science and Technology 1984 to 1986. He was also been appointed as Chairman of the University Grants Commission (UGC) between 1986 and 1991and later, between 2007 and 2012, as Chancellor to the prestigious Jawaharlal Nehru University. Internationally, Pal had worked with various institutions associated with the United Nations.

But it was arguably Pal’s concerted efforts towards reforming the Indian education system, making it more reliant on interactive methods of teaching than simply learning by rote that arguably earned him the most laurels from the academic fraternity and common man alike. Commissioned by the Union ministry for Human Resource Development in 2004-2005 to suggest a blueprint for education reforms, Pal had, through his report titled “Learning without burden”, raised concern over the ever-increasing load of school bags on students and the continued psychological pressures that students have to deal with in their quest for scoring higher percentages in school exams.

Social activist and professor at the Delhi University, Apoorvanand, who had worked closely with Pal on various assignments, described him as a ‘poet of science’. “His sheer enthusiasm for science, space and the ability of Indians to do things on their own was something extraordinary that we don’t find today. He never lost hope even during times of despondency”,” Apoorvanand recalled.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]