Indian Physicist Deepak Dhar Wins the Prestigious 2026 Dirac Medal

Theoretical physicist Deepak Dhar has added another major honour to his career, the 2026 Dirac Medal, awarded by the International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP). Instituted in 1985, the medal has previously gone to some of the biggest names in physics, including Stephen Hawking. Deepak Dhar is one of four physicists chosen this year for their contributions to statistical mechanics.

Professor Deepak Dhar's Honour With Dirac Medal for Work in Statistical Mechanics

Deepak Dhar's most recognised contribution is what's known as Dhar's burning algorithm, developed while studying sandpile models. It went on to become a key idea in the study of self-organised criticality and complex systems, concepts that help explain how large, chaotic systems settle into patterns. This body of work is exactly what ICTP is honouring with this year's Dirac Medal.

About Professor Deepak Dhar

1. Born in 1951 in Pratapgarh, Uttar Pradesh, Dhar grew up reading science magazines his father brought home, which sparked an early curiosity about physics. 
2. He studied at Allahabad University, then moved to IIT Kanpur for his MSc, before heading to Caltech in the US, where he earned a Richard Feynman fellowship and worked directly under Feynman himself, completing his PhD in 1978.
3. Rather than staying abroad, Dhar returned to India, joining TIFR Mumbai and later teaching at IISER Pune for nearly eight years, shaping generations of young physicists along the way.

Professor Deepak Dhar: Major Recognitions

1. In 2022, he became the first Indian to win the Boltzmann Medal, the top award in statistical physics. 
2. In 2023, the Government of India recognised his contributions with a Padma Bhushan, the country's third-highest civilian award.
3.  Together, these honours trace a career that began in a small Hindi-medium town and reached the highest levels of global physics.