A. S. Rao

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Ayyagari Sambasiva Rao
Born20 September 1914
Mogallu, West Godavari district
Died31 October 2003
Hyderabad
NationalityIndian
CitizenshipIndia
EducationPhysics
Alma materBanaras Hindu University, Uttar Pradesh, Stanford University
AwardsPadma Bhushan Award

Ayyagari Sambasiva Rao (popularly known as A. S. Rao) (1914–2003) was an Indian scientist and founder of Electronics Corporation of India Limited (ECIL), Hyderabad, Telangana, India.

He completed his M.Sc in physics from Banaras Hindu University and then Masters in Electrical Engineering from Stanford University.

An anecdote depicting the modesty of Dr. A.S Rao. In the year 2000, an old man was buying a ticket in a Hyderabad city bus and said to the conductor, "If you come to A. S. R. Nagar, tell me." After a while, when the bus stopped, he asked the conductor, "Is this ASR Nagar?" Then the conductor said, "Hey, don't you know where and when ASR Nagar is?" Then another person in the next seat said to the conductor, "He is A.S.R." The conductor and the other passengers were also surprised.

Born on September 20, 1914 in Mogallu village of West Godavari district, Rao AyyaGari did not have money to study in elementary and middle school, so his mother sold a saree that her mother and father had worn during her marriage to a buyer of old cloths and gave that money to Rao. (Rs. 2 !)

Through various loans and well wishers, Rao joined the renowned Benaras Hindu University in Varanasi for MSc physics, with typically one meal a day completed MSc. Then Rao's wish was to do Masters at Stanford University in America (California). Poverty is mocked. But his talent attracted someone. TATA company, It gave him 40,000 rupees and sent him to Stanford University. There, the American scientists and other researchers were so impressed by his intelligence that after Masters, they offered him a big monthly salary of Rs. 150,000 saying, "Don't go to India. Become a professor here and guide them." But Rao politely rejected it and said, "Sorry. I have to repay the debt of my motherland, I have to render my services to the TATA organization that sent me here," he said.

After returning to India, the Tatas gave him a job in Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) Mumbai for only Rs.300. He served the country in many fields, in the fields of science and technology and also established the Electronics Corporation of India Ltd (ECIL) in Hyderabad. It was told that the Father of Indian Nuclear Programme. Homi Zahangir Bhabha himself went to Mumbai to congratulate Rao on his research work.

In 2003, when he was admitted to a hospital in Hyderabad, a doctor was putting him on an oxygen mask and a ventilator. He knew that Rao would live only a few more hours. Then Rao called the doctor and said, "Give me treatment and be careful when you get up, there is a risk of hitting your head with the monitor above." He had the sensitivity and humanity to consider other people's hardship and pain as their own till the last breath.

Awards and honours[edit]

Rao represented India at many international conferences on scientific development including UN conferences on peaceful uses of atomic energy. He also served on the editorial and advisory boards of many scientific journals including many international journals of repute.[1]

Recognition of his services to the nation has brought Rao many awards and honours:

Legacy[edit]

A. S. Rao Nagar is a major suburb of Hyderabad named after Rao.[3] A biography titled The Man with a Vision was written on Rao by his friend D. Mohana Rao.[4]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference ASRAC was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ a b "Padma Awards" (PDF). Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. 2015. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 October 2015. Retrieved 21 July 2015.
  3. ^ "In memory of the ECIL founder - SECN". The Hindu. 30 May 2012. Retrieved 17 April 2018.
  4. ^ "A.S. Rao – scientist, teacher, entrepreneur". The Hindu. 21 September 2014. Retrieved 17 April 2018.

[1][2]

Further reading[edit]

  1. ^ History of Electronics Corporation of India Ltd
  2. ^ "Dr A. S. Rao (1914-2003)". Archived from the original on 30 January 2014.
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