M G K Menon: The Stateman and Brilliant Scientist

MKG Menon's contributions to science and his dedication to the advancement of his country and the world will be remembered for generations to come. How a scientist used his scientific expertise and contributed to the country's scientific and technological growth - and how his visions extended to worldwide welfare and social reforms through science.

Mortal Legacy of MGK Menon - The brilliant stateman and particle physicist. Image Source: Wikimedia Foundation

“‎In modern physics, there is no such thing as nothing." - Richard Morris

Physics has been one of the important science for advancing human civilisation to the pavements of the future. Whether it is about using the internet to read this story, cooking your favourite food in the microwave, or the weather predictions - science, especially physics, has a big role to play. Lots of genius minds and perseverance individuals have played important roles in progressing science for the betterment of human beings. One such great Indian mind is Mambillikalathil Govind Kumar Menon - or simply MGK Menon - who not only pioneered his scientific endeavour but also played a key role in liberating scientific values and institutions in India.

MGK Menon was born in Mangalore in 1928. He was a remarkable physicist and ‘statesman’ who made significant contributions to the field of particle physics. Inspired by  Sir Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman - an Indian physicist and Nobel laureate - Menon early on decided to study physics and contribute to his country as a scientist.

Menon studied physics under the guidance of Nanasaheb Ramji Tawde, a spectroscopist, at the prestigious Royal Institute of Science, Bombay, in the late 1940s. It was here that he earned his M.Sc. degree and pursued a professional career in research in particle physics.

For his doctoral work, he joined the laboratory of soon-to-be Nobel laureate Cecil F. Powell, at the University of Bristol, England, in 1949. It was in Bristol where Menon made his first significant contribution to particle physics. In a rigorous fashion, he established the bosonic character (a particle that obeys Bose-Einstein Condensate) of the pion via nuclear emulsions.  He continued his study on Nuclear emulsion and studied particle physics in depth.

But even after having such pioneering discoveries and findings, Menon is known for his vision for scientific growth in India.

Menon's pioneering contributions to particle physics bought him fame and respect, which led him to successfully implement a grand vision for his country - the scientific and technological growth of India. This not only made him an eminent scientist but also a statesman.

Throughout his years, he has worked at many prestigious institutes and liberated scientific and technological values throughout the country. He was the director of the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research at the age of 35 years, then became the chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation in 1972, became a Member of the Planning Commission in 1982, and a Scientific Adviser to the Prime Minister in 1986, Vice President of Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) 1989 and even a Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha) during 1990-96.

Carrying such expertise and exposure, Menon forged many connections and collaborations, which enabled him to create new policies for Science and Technological developments in India.

Menon (centre) with Homi Bhabha (left). Image source: thequint.com

In 1955, Menon was invited to join the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) in Mumbai, India, by its founding director and nuclear physicist Homi Bhabha. Menon seamlessly integrated into the programs related to cosmic rays and helped enhance the capabilities of scientific ballooning - something that was tough due to the requirement of huge funding and sophisticated equipment and materials.

He established collaborations with groups in the United Kingdom and Japan that energized the study of cosmic rays deep underground - measuring cosmic-ray muon fluxes up to a depth equivalent to 10,000 meters of water.

This collaboration of Menon turned out to be fruitful as the organisation recorded the first event generated by cosmic-ray-induced atmospheric neutrinos in 1965.

Many of Menon’s works significantly changed the community and social welfare. Menon's skill in balancing the priorities of industrial growth with ecological importance allowed him to protect the Silent Valley, a rainforest in Kerala, from destruction by industrial development.

His visions were not only restricted to India. His concern for the developing world prompted him to partner with Abdus Salam, a Pakistani theoretical physicist, and a Nobel Prize laureate, in founding the Third World Academy of Sciences - which has been responsible for the growth of science worldwide and for applying a scientific approach to societal problems and technological growth.

Moreover, Menon was also a Fellow of the Indian Academy of Sciences and the Royal Society of London. In India, Menon received Padma awards, including Padma Vibhushan, for his scientific work in cosmic rays, particle physics, and investigations in the field.

Throughout his life, Menon remained committed to the growth of science worldwide and applying a scientific approach to societal problems and technological growth. MKG Menon's contributions to science and his dedication to the advancement of his native country, and the world will be remembered for generations to come. His legacy continues to inspire young scientists and leaders even to this day.