Born: 6th July 1906
Died: 21st Feb 1993
Shri D.S Kothari was born on 6th July 1906, Udaipur Rajasthan. His father Shri Fatehlal Kothari was a school teacher and died when Kothari was just 12 years old. He completed his secondary education at Maharaja Shivaji Rao High School of Indore in 1922. After matriculation, he came back to Udaipur and joined an Intermediate College. In 1924 he passed his Intermediate Examination and stood first in the Rajputana Board. For his excellent performance in the Intermediate Examinations, he was awarded a Monthly scholarship of Rs.50/- by Maharana of Mewar, to pursue his higher education. Kothari completed his graduation in 1926, and his Master’s under the great Physicist Shri Megh Nad Saha in 1928 from Allahabad University. Kothari started his career in 1934 as a reader, professor, and HOD of the Department of Physics at Delhi University. There he worked for 27 years from 1934-1961. In 1948, the Government of India appointed him as the Advisor at the Ministry of Defence, where he served till 1961 and in the same year he was appointed as the Chairperson of UGC (University Grants Commission) till 1973. D.S. Kothari was the General President of ISC (Indian Science Congress) during 1963 and in 1973, was also elected as the President of INSA (Indian National Science Academy). His remarkable research on “Statistical Dynamics” and “Theory of White Dwarf Stars” made him famous, globally and he was honoured with The Padma Bhushan Award (1962) and The Padma Vibhushan Award (1973). Shri D.S. Kothari died on 21st Feb 1993. The Delhi University has established the D.S. Kothari Centre for Science, Ethics, and Education in his honour.
