Ajit Ram Verma (English: Ajit Ram Verma, born – 20 September 1921; died – 4 March 2009) was an Indian scientist who was awarded the Padma Bhushan by the Government of India in 1982 in the field of science and engineering.
Ajit Ram Varma was born on September 20, 1921 in Dalmau, near Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, to Hansraj Varma, a railway officer, and Devi Rani. After early education at several places, including Allahabad and Meerut, he joined Allahabad University, where he completed his B.Sc. in 1940 and M.Sc. in 1942.[1]
Ajit Ram Varma was one of the founding members of the ‘Society for Scientific Values’, a voluntary body set up to emphasize the need to promote integrity, objectivity and ethical values in the pursuit of science. The first meeting of SSV was held in June 1984 and it was formally registered as a society under the Societies Registration Act, 1860 on 18 August 1986. According to P.N. Tiwari, founder secretary of SSV, Dr. Varma has expressed his clear and certain views about ethical and spiritual values.
Karya Ram Verma taught at Delhi University before moving to the University of London. On returning to India he served as Reader in Physics at Delhi University from 1955-1959. In 1959 he moved to Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi as Professor and Head of Department.[1]
In 1965 Ajit Ram Varma was appointed as the Director of NPL, where he remained until 1982, making him the longest serving Director of NPL. He then worked as a Visiting Professor at IIT, Delhi for three years. Later he was Emeritus Scientist of CSIR and INSA Senior Scientist at MPL. He was the Director of National Physical Laboratory NPL for seventeen years (1965-1982).
Padma Bhushan, Government of India, 1982
Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize, 1964
Atmaram Award, 1994
Fellow Indian Academy of Sciences, Bangalore
Fellow Indian National Science Academy, New Delhi
Fellow National Academy of Sciences of India, Allahabad
Member Board of EDISCERT-Solid State Communications Pergamon Press
Elected member of the International Committee for Weights and Measures CIPM, Paris (1966–1982).
