H. C. Pradhan

H.C. Pradhan retired in July 2011, as Senior Professor and Centre Director, Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education (HBCSE), TIFR.  Holder of the first rank in the university of Bombay, both at B.Sc (1965) and M.Sc (1967) examinations, Pradhan completed the doctorate in theoretical nuclear physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (1971). After post doctoral fellowships at McMaster University and University of Wisconsin (Madison), he returned to India to pursue his liking for teaching.  He taught physics initially at Ramnarian Ruia College, Mumbai (1978-80) and then worked at Western Regional Instrumentation Centre, University of Mumbai (1980-1988).

In 1988, Pradhan joined HBCSE where he was Dean of Faculty from August 1999 to October 2008, and then Centre Director from October 2008 to June 2011.  During the last three decades HBCSE has seen considerable growth both in quality and quantity.  It has pioneered several new programmes, both of research and outreach, in science and mathematics education, and has received national as well as international recognition.  As a close associate initially of HBCSE's founding Centre Director, Prof. V.G. Kulkarni (1988-94) and later of its next Centre Director Prof. Arvind Kumar (1994-2008), and subsequently as the Centre Director himself, Prof. Pradhan significantly contributed to HBCSE’s growth.  He played a leadership role practically in all activities of HBCSE, not only in research and student talent nurture, but also in activities aimed at improvement of science and mathematics education for all, such as, teacher development, curricular and co-curricular material development, networking with educational institutions and science popularization.  

Pradhan’s research is in the areas of nuclear physics, physics education, mathematics education and science education.  His current interests are students’ alternative conceptions in physics and mathematics, laboratory development in physics, students’ knowledge organization in science and capacity building of undergraduate physics students.  Earlier, as a leader of HBCSE’s teacher development as well as talent nurture efforts, he was instrumental in designing and implementing numerous innovative training programmes in science and mathematics for students and teachers and in networking with school systems.  He also led HBCSE’s programme of developing higher secondary laboratories which contributed to India’s participation in Olympiads, the prestigious international subject competitions at the pre-university stage. He was chairperson (2008-2011) of the National Steering Committee which oversees the activities of science and astronomy Olympiads in the country. Widely traveled abroad, Pradhan represented India as a teacher leader for several international Olympiads and other such events.  He was the teacher leader of the 29th International Physics Olympiad held in Iceland (1998), which was the first science olympiad that India ever participated in.  He was also the convener to several international events hosted by India, including the 2010 Asian Science Camp, Mumbai.

Pradhan has published more than 50 research papers in nuclear physics and in science and mathematics education, and authored, coauthored or edited more than 30 books. He has guided several Ph.D. Students. Well-known for teaching, he has taught both at undergraduate and graduate level courses in core areas of physics, statistics for social sciences, research methodology and science communication.    As an  award winning author in Marathi on science, Pradhan has written more than  100 popular science articles and as a sought-after speaker in the areas of education and science, he has given more than 100 lectures and radio talks.  He has contributed to and edited textbooks and supporting material for National Council of Educational Research and Training, Indira Gandhi National Open University and Yashwantrao Chavan Maharashtra Open University.  He has been a member of the Maharashtra State Vishwakosh (Encyclopedia) Nirmiti Mandal, for which he is currently the principal editor of their Junior Encyclopedia in Science and Technology. 

From 2012 to June 2017, Pradhan was a Raja Ramanna Fellow of the Department of Atomic Energy, Govt. of India. During this period, he was associated with Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education where he continued his science education work, and also with UM-DAE Centre for Excellence in Basic Sciences (CBS), Mumbai, where he contributed to teaching in the Integrated M.Sc. program. At CBS, he taught besides undergraduate courses in mathematics and physics, courses in Ethics of Science, History and Philosophy of Science and Communication in Science and Technology. At the invitation of the Department of Education, Navrachana University, Vadodara he guided two of their Ph.D. students in Dentistry Education. He was also guide to two students in physics education at the YCM Open University. Prof Pradhan was President of Gram Mangal (2012-2021), a grass root NGO working in the field of early childhood education. He was vice-president of Maharashtra Vidnyan Parishad (MVP) for 8 years and editor of their monthly magazine for 12 years. He was invited to preside over the 2020 All India Annual Convention of MVP. He was awarded an honorary membership of MVP in August 2021. In March 2022, he received the prestigious Goda Gaurav Award for lifetime contribution to scholarship in science from the Kusumagraj Foundation, Nashik. Earlier in April 2018, he was given the Marathi Jeevan Gaurav Award by Manohar Vichare Foundation for his work in Science Education. He also was a recipient of 2021 Distinguished Alumnus Award of the TIFR Alumni Association. Prof. Pradhan is a fellow of Maharashtra Academy of Sciences. He chairs the National Experts Advisory Committee (NEAC) of NCSTC, DST, Government of India. This committee oversees children-centric science programs like National Children’s Science Congress (NCSC). He is also a member of MSAC (MKCL Strategic Advisory Committee) MKCL is Mahararashtra Knowledge Corporation Limited. He is a fellow of the Maharashtra Academy of Sciences.

• Physics education

• Mathematics education 
• Experiments in Physics Olympiads                         
• Kumar Vishwakosh    

Publications: http://www.hbcse.tifr.res.in/publications

Thesis Advisor of:

Shirish Pathare

Atanu Bandyopadhyay

Rajesh Khaparde

Publications: