Predhiman Krishan Kaw (15 January 1948 – 18 June 2017) was an Indian plasma physicist. He was the founding director of the Institute for Plasma Research and served as the institute's as the director from 1986 to 2012.

Biography

Kaw was born on 15 January 1948 in Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir), India. He matriculated from Punjab University (1958) and completed his M.Sc. from Agra University in 1964. He received a PhD from the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi in 1966 under Supervision of Prof. M. S. Sodha, and was the first Ph.D. from the IIT, Delhi. Kaw received his Ph.D. at the age of 18, His older brother is bureaucrat and author M. K. Kaw.

Professional details

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! Year !! Institute !! Designation

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| 1967-1969 || Princeton University || Postdoctoral Fellow

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| 1969-1971 || Princeton University, USA || Research Staff & Lecturer

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| 1971-1974 || Physical Research Laboratory, India || Associate Professor

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| 1974-1975 || Physical Research Laboratory, India || Professor

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| 1975-1982 || Princeton University, USA || Principal Research Physicist Lecturer in Astrophysical Sciences

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| 1982-1986 || Plasma Physics Programme, Physical Research Laboratory, India || Director

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| 1986-2012 || Institute for Plasma Research, Gandhinagar, India || Director

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| 2012–2017 || Institute for Plasma Research, Gandhinagar, India || DST Year of Science Professor

|}

Selected articles and talks

  • PK Kaw, "Fusion power, who needs it?" (pdf format), Current Science, 10 July 1993, 65(01) 20 (web format)

References

  • Institute for Plasma Research, Gujarat, India
  • Prof. PK Kaw Home Page
  • Predhiman Kaw, founder of India’s fusion program and former PPPL physicist -- News