{{short description|Indian physicist (born 1938)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=July 2018}} {{Use Indian English|date=July 2018}} {{Infobox scientist | name = Virendra Singh | image = | alt = | caption = | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1938|6|8}} | birth_place = [[Bijnor]], [[British Raj]] | death_date = | death_place = | fields = {{ublist | [[Theoretical physics]] }} | workplaces = {{ublist | [[Tata Institute of Fundamental Research]] | [[Rockefeller University]] }} | alma_mater = {{ublist | Deva Nagri Inter college | [[Meerut College]] | [[Agra University]] | [[University of California, Berkeley]] | [[Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory]] | [[California Institute of Technology]] | [[Institute for Advanced Study]] }} | doctoral_advisor = {{ublist | [[Geoffrey Chew]] | [[Murray Gell-Mann]] }} | doctoral_students = | known_for = Studies on [[High energy physics]] | awards = {{ublist| 1973 [[Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize]] | 1979 [[University Grants Commission (India)|UGC]] Meghnad Saha Award | 1995 Goyal Prize | 1996 [[Indian Science Congress Association|ISCA]] C. V. Raman Birth Centenary Gold Medal }} }} '''Virendra Singh''' (born 8 June 1938) is an Indian theoretical physicist and a former C. V. Raman chair professor and director of the [[Tata Institute of Fundamental Research]] (TIFR). Known for his research in [[high energy physics]], Singh is an elected fellow of all the three major Indian science academies - [[Indian National Science Academy]], [[Indian Academy of Sciences]] and [[National Academy of Sciences, India]] as well as [[The World Academy of Sciences]]. The [[Council of Scientific and Industrial Research]], the apex agency of the Government of India for scientific research, awarded him the [[Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize for Science and Technology]], one of the highest Indian science awards, for his contributions to Physical Sciences in 1973.<ref name="View Bhatnagar Awardees">{{cite web | url=http://ssbprize.gov.in/Content/AwardeeList.aspx | title=View Bhatnagar Awardees | publisher=Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize | date=2016 | access-date=12 November 2016}}</ref>{{Refn|group=note|Long link – please select award year to see details}}
== Biography == [[File:Tifr main.jpg|thumb|235px|Tata Institute of Fundamental Research]]
=== Early life and education === Born in [[Bijnor]] in the Indian state of [[Uttar Pradesh]], Singh completed his schooling at Dev Nagri Inter College, [[Meerut]] in 1951 and passed the intermediate course from [[Meerut College]] of [[Agra University]] in 1953.<ref name="Biography">{{Cite web |url=http://theory.tifr.res.in/~vsingh/CV.pdf |title=Biography |date=2017 |publisher=Tata Institute of Fundamental Research}}</ref> After earning a BSc in physics, chemistry and mathematics in 1955 and an MSc in physics in 1957 from the same institution, he joined [[Tata Institute of Fundamental Research]] as a research assistant the same year. Subsequently, taking a sabbatical from service, he enrolled for doctoral studies at [[University of California, Berkeley]] and worked under the guidance of [[Geoffrey Chew]], known for his contributions to the fields of [[mesons]] and [[bootstrap model]], to secure a PhD in 1962.<ref name="Indian fellow">{{Cite web |url=http://insaindia.res.in/detail/N75-0774 |title=Indian fellow |date=2017 |publisher=Indian National Science Academy |access-date=26 April 2017 |archive-date=5 December 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191205034931/http://insaindia.res.in/detail/N75-0774 |url-status=dead }}</ref> He stayed in the US to complete his post-doctoral work at three institutions, [[Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory]] (1959–62) as a graduate student, [[California Institute of Technology]] (1962–63) as a research fellow with [[Murray Gell-Mann]]<ref name="B. M. Udgaonkar Eminent Scientist & Educationist">{{cite web | url=http://www.hbcse.tifr.res.in/data/pdf/bmu/udgaonkar-confe.pdf | title=B. M. Udgaonkar Eminent Scientist & Educationist | publisher=Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education | date=2 May 2016}}</ref> and [[Institute for Advanced Study]], Princeton (1963–64) as a member.<ref name="MEMBER - Virendra Singh">{{Cite web |url=https://www.ias.edu/scholars/virendra-singh |title=MEMBER – Virendra Singh |date=2017 |publisher=Institute for Advanced Study}}</ref>
=== Career === On his return to India in 1964, he resumed his career at TIFR and served the institution in such various capacities as a professor (1970–81), senior professor (1981–90), and a professor of eminence till his superannuation from service in 2003. During this period, he held the directorship of the institution from 1987 to 1997. Post-retirement, he continued his association with TIFR as a C. V. Raman Research Professor of the [[Indian National Science Academy]] till 2008.<ref name="Indian fellow" /> In between, he had two short stints at [[Rockefeller University]], first as a visiting associate professor during (1966–67) and then as a visiting professor during (1971–72).<ref name="Biography" /> When the Indian Physics Association and the [[Institute of Physics]] jointly introduced an exchange lecture program in honor of [[John Douglas Cockcroft]], [[Ernest Thomas Sinton Walton]] and [[Homi J. Bhabha]] in 1998, he was the first to deliver the Homi Bhabha lecture in 2000.<ref name="Biography" /><ref name="Lecturers between IPA-IOP">{{Cite web |url=http://www.ipa1970.org.in/exlist.php |title=Lecturers between IPA-IOP |date=2017 |publisher=Indian Physics Association |access-date=10 April 2017 |archive-date=8 February 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190208130814/http://www.ipa1970.org.in/exlist.php |url-status=dead }}</ref>
=== Personal life === Singh lives in [[Andheri]] west in [[Mumbai]].<ref name="NASI fellows">{{Cite web |url=http://www.nasi.org.in/fellows.asp?RsFilter=S |title=NASI fellows |date=2017 |publisher=National Academy of Sciences, India |access-date=10 April 2017 |archive-date=16 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160316043224/http://nasi.org.in/fellows.asp?RsFilter=S |url-status=dead }}</ref>
== Legacy == [[File:Nehru sciencecenter1.JPG|thumb|235px|Nehru Science Center]] Singh's studies spanned the fields of high energy physics, [[quantum mechanics]] and [[particle physics]] and he has made reportedly significant contributions on [[S-matrix theory]] and symmetry theories of [[hadrons]].<ref name="Brief Profile of the Awardee">{{Cite web |url=http://ssbprize.gov.in/Content/Detail.aspx?AID=62 |title=Brief Profile of the Awardee |date=2017 |publisher=Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize}}</ref> His collaboration with Virendra Gupta resulted in the development of ''Gupta-Singh coupling constant sum rule''<ref name="Sum Rules for Coupling Constants in Broken SU (3) Symmetry">{{Cite journal |last=Virendra Gupta, Virendra Singh |title=Sum Rules for Coupling Constants in Broken SU (3) Symmetry |journal=Physical Review |date=1964 |volume=136 |issue=B782 |pages=B782–B786 |doi=10.1103/PhysRev.136.B782|bibcode=1964PhRv..136..782G }}</ref> related to [[baryon]] decuplet<ref name="BrézinWadia1993">{{cite book|author1=E Brézin|author2=S R Wadia|title=The Large N Expansion in Quantum Field Theory and Statistical Physics: From Spin Systems to 2-Dimensional Gravity|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Yp3sCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA333|date=31 August 1993|publisher=World Scientific|isbn=978-981-4506-63-2|pages=333–}}</ref> and he worked along M. A. Beg to develop the ''Beg-Singh SU (6) mass formula''.<ref name="Mitra2009">{{cite book|author=Asoke Nath Mitra|title=India in the World of Physics: Then and Now|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hRLPM6s7hWAC&pg=PA388|year=2009|publisher=Pearson Education India|isbn=978-81-317-1579-6|pages=388–}}</ref> His theoretical work on [[scattering amplitudes]] have helped widen the understanding of ''high energy total cross-sections in hadronic processes''.<ref name="Handbook of Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize Winners">{{cite web | url=http://www.csirhrdg.res.in/ssb.pdf | title=Handbook of Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize Winners | publisher=Council of Scientific and Industrial Research | date=1999}}</ref> He proposed ''Singh lemma'', a method of calculating the ''threshold value of the amplitude from the [[Gauge theory|gauge condition]]''.<ref name="Low-Energy Theorem for Compton Scattering">{{Cite journal |last=S. Saito |title=Low-Energy Theorem for Compton Scattering |journal=Physical Review |date=1969 |volume=184 |issue=1894 |pages=1894–1902 |doi=10.1103/PhysRev.184.1894|bibcode=1969PhRv..184.1894S }}</ref><ref name="BellBell1995">{{cite book|author1=J. S. Bell|author2=Mary Bell|author3=Kurt Gottfried, Martinus Veltman|title=Quantum Mechanics, High Energy Physics and Accelerators: Selected Papers of John S. Bell, with Commentary|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lTVqDQAAQBAJ&pg=PA339|year=1995|publisher=World Scientific|isbn=978-981-02-2115-7|pages=339–}}</ref> His other contributions include ''Singh-Pais theorems'' and ''Singh-Roy bounds'' related to [[compton scattering]] and [[scattering amplitudes]].<ref name="Singh on Neglected Science">{{Cite web |url=http://www.neglectedscience.com/alphabetical-list/s/virendra-singh |title=Singh on Neglected Science |date=2017 |publisher=Neglected Science |access-date=10 April 2017 |archive-date=11 April 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170411055521/http://www.neglectedscience.com/alphabetical-list/s/virendra-singh |url-status=dead }}</ref> His studies have been documented by way of a number of articles{{Refn|group=note|Please see ''Selected bibliography'' section}} and the article repository of the Indian Academy of Sciences has listed 84 of them.<ref name="Browse by Fellow">{{Cite web |url=http://repository.ias.ac.in/view/fellows/Singh=3AVirendra_=3A=3A.html |title=Browse by Fellow |date=2017 |publisher=Indian Academy of Sciences}}</ref> Besides, he has contributed chapters to books published by others<ref>{{cite book|title=Proceedings of the Tenth International Workshop on the Physics of Semiconductor Devices : (December 14 – 18, 1999) [New Delhi]. 2(2000)|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pf-1NymFEscC&pg=PA1459|year=2000|publisher=Allied Publishers|isbn=978-81-7023-998-7|pages=1459–}}</ref><ref name="Wadia2007">{{cite book|author=Spenta R. Wadia|title=The Legacy of Albert Einstein: A Collection of Essays in Celebration of the Year of Physics|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rEaUIxukvy4C&pg=PA165|year=2007|publisher=World Scientific|isbn=978-981-277-271-8|pages=165–}}</ref> including a lecture in a book edited by [[B. V. Sreekantan]]<ref name="Remembering Einstein: Lectures on Physics and Astrophysics">{{Cite book |title=Remembering Einstein: Lectures on Physics and Astrophysics |last=B.V. Sreekantan |publisher=Oxford University Press |year=2010 |isbn=978-0198064497 |page=164}}</ref> and ''Scientific Realism and Classical Physics'', a general article published in ''History and Philosophy of Physics''<ref name="Scientific Realism and Classical Physics">{{Cite book |arxiv=0805.1780 |title=History and Philosophy of Physics |last=P. Ghosh (V. Singh – chapter) |publisher=Indian Council of Philosophical Research |year=2008|bibcode=2008arXiv0805.1780S }}</ref> published by [[Indian Council of Philosophical Research]].<ref name="Authors and titles for physics.hist-ph in May 2008">{{Cite web |url=https://arxiv.org/list/physics.hist-ph/0805 |title=Authors and titles for physics.hist-ph in May 2008 |date=2017 |publisher=Cornell University}}</ref> His work has also drawn citations from other authors.<ref name="(Prof.)Kar2010">{{cite book|author1=Subir Ghosh (Prof.)|author2=Guruprasad Kar|title=Recent Developments in Theoretical Physics|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4Q2GXoKbo0kC&pg=PA10|year=2010|publisher=World Scientific|isbn=978-981-4287-33-3|pages=10–}}</ref><ref name="Mehra2001">{{cite book|author=Jagdish Mehra|title=The Golden Age of Theoretical Physics: (Boxed Set of 2 Volumes)|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=o1XVCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA530|date=28 February 2001|publisher=World Scientific|isbn=978-981-4492-85-0|pages=530–}}</ref>
=== Professional associations === On the academic front, he was instrumental in organizing a school of research on theoretical physics at [[Tata Institute of Fundamental Research]], along with [[Bhalchandra Udgaonkar]].<ref name="Indian fellow" /> He has been a member of the editorial boards of ''Indian Journal of Pure and Applied Physics'' (1974–76 & 1989–91), ''Indian Journal of Pure and Applied Mathematics'' (1975–77), ''[[Pramana]]'' (1982–89), ''Comments on Nuclear and Particle Physics'' (1985–92) and ''Asia-Pacific Physics Newsletter'' (1990).<ref name="Biography" /> He chaired the board of research in nuclear science of the [[Department of Atomic Energy]] and sat in the commission on particles and fields of [[International Union of Pure and Applied Physics]] from 1986 to 1993.<ref name="Indian fellow" /> He was the vice president of the Indian Physics Association for 1983–84 and presided the association from 1985 to 1987.<ref name="Executive Committees of IPA">{{Cite web |url=http://www.ipa1970.org.in/pastexlist.php |title=Executive Committees of IPA |date=2017 |publisher=Indian Physics Association}}</ref> He served as the chairman of the Mumbai chapter of ''Society for Applied Microwave Electronics Engineering & Research'' (SAMEER) of the [[Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology]] (1993–97) and the [[Nehru Science Centre]] (1994–96). He has been associated with the Indian Academy of Sciences as a council member (1977–82) and with National Academy of Sciences, India as the president of its Mumbai chapter (2001–07). He has also been a member of the councils of a number of institutes and associations which included [[Indian Statistical Institute]] (1986–88), [[Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics]] (1987–92), Indian Science News Association (1994–2001) and [[National Council of Science Museums]] (1994–98).<ref name="Biography" />
== Awards and honors == The Indian Academy of Sciences elected Singh as a fellow in 1970<ref name="Fellow profile">{{Cite web |url=http://www.ias.ac.in/describe/fellow/Singh,_Prof._Virendra |title=Fellow profile |date=2017 |publisher=Indian Academy of Sciences}}</ref> and the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research awarded him the [[Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize]], one of the highest Indian science awards in 1973.<ref name="CSIR list of Awardees">{{Cite web |url=http://www.csir.res.in/careeraward/prize-winner-indexdiscipline-wise |title=CSIR list of Awardees |date=2017 |publisher=Council of Scientific and Industrial Research}}</ref> He became an elected fellow of the Indian National Science Academy in 1975<ref name="INSA Year Book 2016">{{Cite web |url=http://www.insaindia.res.in/pdf/YearBook_2016.pdf |title=INSA Year Book 2016 |date=2017 |publisher=Indian National Science Academy}}</ref> and four years later, the [[university Grants Commission of India]] selected him for the 1979 Meghnad Saha Award.<ref name="MEMBER - Virendra Singh" /> He received the fellowship of the National Academy of Sciences, India in 1989<ref name="NASI Year Book 2015">{{Cite web |url=http://www.nasi.org.in/Year%20Book%202015.pdf |title=NASI Year Book 2015 |date=2017 |publisher=National Academy of Sciences, India |access-date=10 April 2017 |archive-date=6 August 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150806211716/http://www.nasi.org.in/Year%20Book%202015.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref> and the Goyal Prize for Physical Sciences in 1995.<ref name="Biography" /> The [[Indian Science Congress Association]] awarded him the C. V. Raman Birth Centenary Gold Medal in 1996 and [[The World Academy of Sciences]] elected him as their fellow in 1999.<ref name="TWAS fellow">{{Cite web |url=https://twas.org/member/singh-virendra |title=TWAS fellow |date=2017 |publisher=The World Academy of Sciences |access-date=10 April 2017 |archive-date=23 May 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170523111759/https://twas.org/member/singh-virendra |url-status=dead }}</ref> He is also a fellow of the [[Institute of Physics]] and the award orations delivered by him include K. R. Ramanathan Memorial Lecture of [[Physical Research Laboratory]] (1995), Bicentennial Lecture of [[Indian Institute of Astrophysics]] (1995), S. N. Bose Memorial Lecture of [[S.N. Bose National Centre for Basic Sciences]] (1995), S. N. Bose Memorial Lecture of Kolkata Mathematical Society (1995), Meghnad Saha Lecture of National Academy of Sciences, India (1996) and Bhabha Memorial Lecture of the [[Institution of Electronics and Telecommunication Engineers]] (1997).<ref name="Biography" />
== Selected bibliography == === Chapters === * {{cite book|title=Proceedings of the Tenth International Workshop on the Physics of Semiconductor Devices : (December 14 – 18, 1999) [New Delhi]. 2(2000)|year=2000|publisher=Allied Publishers|isbn=978-81-7023-998-7|pages=1459–}} * {{cite book|author=Spenta R. Wadia|title=The Legacy of Albert Einstein: A Collection of Essays in Celebration of the Year of Physics|year=2007|publisher=World Scientific|isbn=978-981-277-271-8|pages=165–}} * {{Cite book |title=Remembering Einstein: Lectures on Physics and Astrophysics |last=B.V. Sreekantan |publisher=Oxford University Press |year=2010 |isbn=978-0198064497 |page=164}} * {{Cite book |arxiv=0805.1780 |title=History and Philosophy of Physics |last=P. Ghosh (V. Singh – chapter) |publisher=Indian Council of Philosophical Research |year=2008|bibcode=2008arXiv0805.1780S }}
=== Articles === * {{Cite journal |last=Virendra Gupta, Virendra Singh |title=Sum Rules for Coupling Constants in Broken SU (3) Symmetry |journal=Physical Review |date=1964 |volume=136 |issue=B782 |pages=B782–B786 |doi=10.1103/PhysRev.136.B782|bibcode=1964PhRv..136..782G }} * {{Cite journal |last=Virendra Singh |title=New Low-Energy Theorem for Compton Scattering |journal=Phys. Rev. Lett. |date=1967 |volume=19 |issue=730 |pages=730–734 |doi=10.1103/PhysRevLett.19.730|bibcode=1967PhRvL..19..730S }} * {{Cite journal |last=S. M. Roy, Virendra Singh |title=Causal Quantum Mechanics Treating Position and Momentum Symmetrically |journal=Modern Physics Letters A |date=1995 |volume=10 |issue=8 |pages=709–716 |doi=10.1142/S0217732395000752|arxiv=hep-ph/9410378 |bibcode=1995MPLA...10..709R |s2cid=119464132 }} * {{Cite journal |last=Virendra Singh |title=Causal quantum mechanics |journal=Pramana |date=1997 |volume=49 |issue=1 |pages=5–16 |doi=10.1007/BF02856334|bibcode=1997Prama..49....5S |s2cid=122038060 }} * {{Cite journal |last=Virendra Singh |title=Bhabha's contributions to elementary particle physics and cosmic rays research |journal=Resonance |date=2009 |volume=14 |issue=5 |pages=430–454 |doi=10.1007/s12045-009-0045-1|arxiv=0905.2264 |bibcode=2009arXiv0905.2264S |s2cid=17616577 }}
== See also == {{Div col}} * [[Rutherford scattering]] * [[Coulomb scattering state]] * [[Eightfold Way (physics)]] {{div col end}} {{portal|India|Physics}}
== Notes == {{reflist|group=note|2}}
== References == {{reflist}}
== External links == * {{cite book|author=Asoke Nath Mitra|title=India in the World of Physics: Then and Now|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hRLPM6s7hWAC&pg=PR38|year=2009|publisher=Pearson Education India|isbn=978-81-317-1579-6|pages=38–}}
== Further reading == * {{Cite web |url=https://www.yumpu.com/en/document/view/38322692/prof-virendra-singh-department-of-theoretical-physics-tata- |title=Virendra Singh – Curriculum Vitae |date=2017 |publisher=Yumpu}}
{{SSBPST recipients in Physical Science}} {{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Singh, Virendra}} [[Category:1938 births]] [[Category:People from Bijnor]] [[Category:Indian theoretical physicists]] [[Category:Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar University alumni]] [[Category:University of California, Berkeley alumni]] [[Category:California Institute of Technology alumni]] [[Category:Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory people]] [[Category:Academic staff of Tata Institute of Fundamental Research]] [[Category:Fellows of the National Academy of Sciences, India]] [[Category:Fellows of the Indian National Science Academy]] [[Category:Fellows of the Indian Academy of Sciences]] [[Category:Fellows of The World Academy of Sciences]] [[Category:Fellows of the Institute of Physics]] [[Category:Recipients of the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Award in Medical Science]] [[Category:Indian technology writers]] [[Category:Scientists from Uttar Pradesh]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:20th-century Indian physicists]] [[Category:People from Bijnor district]] [[Category:Indian physicists]]