Prof. Harish Chandra Verma is one of the most distinguished authors of Physics in India. Often referred to as an 'idol' and the pedagogical 'Guru' for all JEE aspirants, he has written several influential books on Physics and is best known for his two-volume book Concepts of Physics. The book is considered as the Bible of Physics, a prerequisite for students preparing for IIT JEE or other engineering entrance examinations. Currently, he serves as a Professor in the Department of Physics at IIT Kanpur. Besides being a prominent author and researcher, he is an active socialist who has co-founded many social initiatives like Shikhsa Sopan, which literally means "a ladder to education" for the growth and upliftment of underprivileged kids in and around IIT campus.
Prof. H.C. Verma received his B.Sc.(Hons.) degree in Physics in 1975 from Patna Science College and M.Sc. in Physics from IIT Kanpur in 1977. Following it, he joined the Ph.D. program at the institute and completed the same in less than 3 years. Despite being motivated by his teachers to move to Europe/US for higher studies, he chose to go back to his native place and joined Patna Science College as a lecturer in 1980.
The college holds a special place in his heart since it transformed him from an average student, who used to struggle with marks during his school days, into a topper. While teaching Physics to 11th and 12th standards, he observed that even the brightest students of the class were unable to thoroughly understand the concepts owing to the tough language integrated with a cultural difference of the books authored by foreign writers. Driven by his strong desire to make the subject of Physics interesting and enjoyable to Indian students, he decided to write a simple and easy to understand book incorporated with original numerical examples. Prof. Verma dedicated eight years of his life to complete the book Concept of Physics, which proved to be a huge success and eventually made him a luminary among Indian students.
After serving the Patna Science College for over 15 years, he joined the Department of Physics at IIT Kanpur as an Assistant Professor in 1994. Being a true experimentalist and researcher, he did not get convinced by the idea of starting a coaching center and decided to pursue research. His core research interest includes Classical and Quantum Mechanics and Nuclear Physics. He has authored another book titled Quantum of Physics. He has also made several video lectures on various topics of Physics to help Hindi stream students. He is hugely popular amongst his students and has advised and mentored several M.Sc. and Ph.D. students.
Despite his immense popularity, Prof. Verma is a down-to-earth man who believes in simple living and high thinking. He doesn't own a car and still likes to go out on his old scooter. He is an active philanthropist who takes regular classes in areas nearby the IITK campus and provides financial aid to poor students who are willing to pursue education. It is quite surprising to know that he receives hefty royalty every year for his book which he donates to charity and the Prime Minister Relief Fund. He believes that his motive behind writing the book has been accomplished and would like to use the royalty money for good causes.
