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OBITUARY

Professor A.S. Parasnis 

(1928-2011)

Department of Physics,

Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur

 

The Institute deeply mourns the sad demise of Professor Arawind Sripad Parasnis who left for his heavenly abode on the morning of the 16th Oct 2011.

Professor Parasnis was born on the 18th Aug 1928 at Ahmadnagar. He did his BSc from University of Poona, MSc from Bombay University and obtained his PhD from the University of Bristol in 1960. Immediattely thereafter he joined the Institute as an Assistant Professor, was elevated to an Associate Professor in 1965 and a Professor in 1968. He superannuated in Aug 1988, but continued to serve the Institute till Dec 1989.

Professor Parasnis was one of the first faculty members to join the Institute, when it was still operating from HBTI. He played a major role in building the Institute to what it is. He served in very many committees, academic or otherwise of the Institute. He served as the Head, Department of Physics. He was largely instrumental in the initiation of CELT and Laser Technology Programmes. He also championed the need for the position of Dean, Academic Affairs.

Professor Parasnis started his career in crystallography, but quickly moved on to become an acknowledged authority on Holography. He trained several students in holography, and was responsible, together with his colleagues, in establishing a vibrant and a highly acclaimed Optics group at IIT-K. He was also central to the establishing of the Undergraduate Physics Laboratories. An excellent teacher, his lectures were always interspersed with vivd experimental demonstrations. Even after his retirement, he continued to enthuse young students by showing them many demonstration experiments in schools and colleges.

Professor Parasnis is survived by his wife, Meira Parasnis, and two sons Kaushik and Gautam.

We pray that his soul rest in peace. We also pray that God give his family and innumerable friends the strength to bear the immense grief that his departure has caused.

  • ashok wrote on 17th October 2011
    he was excellent physics teacher. 1971 batch

  • Lilavati Krishnan wrote on 17th October 2011
    Dear Meiraji, We are all very sad to hear about this loss. I do not know if you remember me, but I have very clear memories of the interaction I had with you and Professor. Please accept my condolences. I pray to the Almighty to grant all of you strength to bear this loss. With you in your time of grief, Lilavati Krishnan

  • Ramachandra rao wrote on 18th October 2011
    Deeply saddened to hear about the demise of Prof. Parasnis. We were colleagues from 1961 to 1978 when I left IITK. We were good friends all the years and my heartfelt condolences to the family.

  • Kameswara Rao wrote on 18th October 2011
    Sorry to note about Arvind Parasnis sudden demise. We were nieghbours for several years and have fond rememberances of the good days. Please convey our condolences to the family and if you have any contact ID of Kaushik or his brother, please mail me. Hope you remember me during my IIT stay. Best wishes to you and faMILY.

  • NGR Iyengar wrote on 18th October 2011
    Very sorry to hear about the passing away for Prof. Parasanis. I can still the early interaction with him when I had joined IIT Kanpur way back in 1967. He was a very good teacher and helped a lot in building the Institute. I know the discussion we had in the senate for the establishment of Laser program. Please covey our heart felt condolences to the bereaved family. May God give them courage to bear the loss. May his soul rest in Peace.

  • T.M. Srinivasan wrote on 18th October 2011
    Very shocking news: My son who is in US informed me a few minutes back. Really I have a lost a good friend of mine. May his soul rest in peace---T.M. Srinivasan

  • Sanjay wrote on 18th October 2011
    I am saddened to hear this news. Prof. Parasnis taught us Physics. His son was also my aprtmentment in Minneapolis. Lots of memories..... I am leaving today at 3:00PM and will be unable to join the condolence meeting. I would have very much liked to.

  • Smita Bedekar(nee Joshi) wrote on 18th October 2011
    Let his sole rest in peace and his family should get the strength to face this unexpected event.

  • Kaushik wrote on 18th October 2011I pay my homage to Parasnis Sir.

  • Nedunchezhian D wrote on 18th October 2011
    Dear Madam, I am very sad to hear about this loss. My deepest heartfelt condolences to all the family members. Kindly take care of your health. Sincerely yours, Nedunchezhian D

  • Sanjeevi K wrote on 18th October 2011
    I m student of Dr A S Parasnis during his tenure in IIITMK-Trivandrum.He taught us communication skills and also he keep us motivated and make us stay during difficult period. Really fond memories though the interaction was only few months. Condolences to his sons and prayer to the departed Soul

  • K.Pradeep Kumar wrote on 18th October 2011
    He is an example of how a teacher could be a strict disciplinarian as well as a caring mentor at the same time. I was his student at IIITM, Trivandrum. He has definitely made a positive influence in our lives. May his soul rest in peace. Pray that his family gets the strength to withstand the loss.

  • Neeraj Gupta wrote on 19th October 2011
    Dr. Parasnis taught us Physics 203. Highly respected for knowledge and revered as a gentleman and role model. His classes were always full of enthusiastic students. It is difficult to believe that he is no more with us. I pray to God for eternal peace to the Noble soul and all courage to the bereaved family. Neeraj B.tech student during 1979-1984

  • Gurunath Ramanathan wrote on 19th October 2011
    I met him during one of his visits here and he came across as a passionate teacher and administrator, whose heart and mind always was still in the IITK campus. I pray to god to give his family strength to overcome their loss. In his death IIT/K has indeed lost one more of its founding faculty members.

  • Prasanna Mishra wrote on 19th October 2011
    Doctor Saheb with his teachings and examples has certainly made me a better person. Shall miss him always.

  • Ramesh Srivastava wrote on 20th October 2011
    Truly, among the Physics faculty I knew him longest. I can recall waiting in the Director's Office Annex (the HBTI's new Canteen Building) to be interviewed by the first Faculty Selection Committee. PVenkateswarlu, SC Sen, GS Verma and Hari Mohan were also there. Hari Mohan was also appointed but he preferred to join Allahabad University. Out of this group I was the youngest and perhaps that is why I am here still recounting the event. Sen and Parasnis joined immediately (July or August 1960), I and Venkateswarlu joined in January, February 1961. Dayal Saran and Sareen were already teaching and eventually joined Parasnis and you & Venkteswarlu (jointly) respectively earned their PhD degree and became full fledged faculty members a few years later. Old times! --- Ramesh

  • Hema Bakhle Sankalia wrote on 21st October 2011
    Both Tara and I With Nandita will deeoly miss Anna as he prefered to be called. Our friend Philosopher and guid. I envied him for all his vetues, tried to emulate some but failed as only one of his kind is made. Deeply concerned about Meera,proud of Vikram an Kausik ,their wives and grand children who we hardly met but felt as if I knew them. I was to go up the hill with him and his friends but it was not to be. It is a great loss and we will always remember him. Hema

  • T. R. Viswanathan wrote on 22nd October 2011
    Arvind was a great colleague, close friend and more than anything else a sincere teacher. I was fortunate to have worked with him for more than a decade at IIT Kanpur. What most of us remember about Arvind is that he was punctual and fastidious in everything he did. He was a pillar of IIT Kanpur. Lakshmi and I convey our condolences to Meera, Kaushik and Gautam.

  • Dr.Milind Acharya wrote on 26th October 2011
    I knew Prof.Parasnis through my father Dr.G.N.Acharya who was a classmate. My father and Prof. Parasnis travelled together on the same ship to England in the 1950s. Prof.Parasnis was an ideal perfectionist and was precise in everything he said and did. May his soul rest in peace.

  • Chandrashekhar P Chavan wrote on 7th November 2011
    very sad news. deepest heartfelt condolences to family members

  • DHEERAJ KUMAR SINGH wrote on 8th November 2011
    we really respect prof a.s.pranasis for his valuable contribution in the field of science and technology and also for the ispiration that his name gives to the young scientists and engineers.

  • Deepak Jain wrote on 11th November 2011
    I met Professor Parasnis at Laser Technology Department Day on 30th Dec 2010. He was the person who laid the foundation of Laser Technology at IITK. In just one meeting, I was fan of him. But at that time we was little sad due to poor condition of Laser department at IITK. And I assured him on behalf of student community that we will keep his vision alive. We really lost a great visionary but his blessing and support will be with us alwyas.

 

 
   
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