Eminent physicist Vikas Sinha, former director of Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics (SINP) and Converged Energy Cyclotron Center (VECC), passed away on 11 August 2023 in Kolkata.
78 year old Vikas Sinha was suffering from old age related ailments. Shri Sinha was an eminent scientist awarded 'Padma Shri' in the year 2001 and 'Padma Bhushan' in 2010 for his remarkable contribution in the field of science and technology.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed deep sorrow over the demise of nuclear physicist Vikas Sinha. Prime Minister Modi said Vikas Sinha will be remembered for his remarkable contribution towards science, especially in the field of nuclear physics and high energy physics. His enthusiasm to further a vibrant research ecosystem is remarkable.
Condoling Sinha's death, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee described him as a brilliant nuclear physicist and a brilliant son of West Bengal.
Under the leadership of Mr. Sinha, SINP and VECC collaborated with CERN (European Organization for Nuclear Research) for experiments in the field of particle physics.
Shri Sinha held the 'Homi Bhaba Chair' at VECC and was a Fellow of the Indian National Science Academy.
Born in a landlord family in Kandi in Murshidabad district of West Bengal, Vikas Sinha studied Physics at Presidency College, Kolkata. After this he went to King's College of Cambridge University for higher education.
Shri Sinha has been a Fellow of several Academies including the Third World Academy of Sciences in Italy and has won several international awards.
Shri Sinha was awarded the SN Bose Birth Centenary Award of the Indian Science Congress Association in 1994. He was honored by the West Bengal government with the state's highest award 'Bangabibhushan' in 2022 and 'Rabindra Smriti Puraskar' in the same year.
Shri Sinha was also the Vice-Chancellor of the West Bengal Technological University. Mr. Sinha used to write regularly on science in Bangla language.