Arcot Ramachandran

Arcot Ramachandran (1923-2018) was an Indian scientist, anthropologist, author and a former under-secretary general of United Nations Centre for Human Settlements, known for his scholarship on the subjects of heat and mass transfer and environment and his social commitment to the cause of sustainable development. The Government of India honoured him in 2003, with the Padma Bhushan, the third highest civilian award, for his services to the fields of science and engineering.

Life sketch Born in a Tamil-speaking Arcot Mudaliar family in the Indian state of Karnataka,

Arcot Ramachandran graduated from the Madras University and went to the Purdue University, USA, from where he obtained MS degree in engineering. He continued at the university for his doctoral research and obtained his PhD.

Ramachandran came back to India, in 1957, did a summer course at Indian Institute of Technology, Madras. Subsequent to that, IISc invited him to head the Department of Mechanical Engineering. In 1965, he was transferred as the head of the Department of Industrial Management and, two years later, in 1967, he became the director of IIT Madras. Central Electronics Limited

In 1977, Ramachandran was made the chairman of the Preparatory Committee for the United Nations Conference on Science and Technology for Development. He was also involved with the UNESCO Expert Group Meeting on Engineering Education, in the capacity of its chairman. U.N. ESCAP Regional Centre for Transfer of Technology Bangalore, started on 16 July 1977, owes its origin to the recommendations of this Expert Group. The next year, he was selected as the Under Secretary-General and Executive Director of the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat), headquartered in Nairobi. He also had the additional charge of the Administrator of the United Nations Habitat and Human Settlements Foundation. In 1993, Dr. Ramachandran retired from the UN. under the Ministry of Non-conventional Energy Sources, the Ministry of Urban Affairs and the Department of Ocean Development. He was also instrumental in the proclamation of the year 1987 as the International Year of Shelter for the Homeless, as a part of the Global Strategy for Shelter for the year 1987.

On the academic front, Ramachandran is the founder of a School of Research in Heat and Mass Transfer. and by way of keynote addresses and lectures, delivered at various platforms and seminars, a few of which are:

Keynote address on Sustainable communities through partnership at the meeting of the Commonwealth Heads of Governments at Edinburgh, Scotland in October 1997 Chairman – Preparatory Committee of UN Conference on Science and Technology board member – Public Affairs Centre, Bangalore Chairman, International Jury – UNCHS (Habitat) and the United Arab Emirates President – Solar Energy Society of India Sir M. Visvesvaraya Life Time Achievement Award in Engineering – 1999 Indian National Academy of Engineering Life Time Achievement Award – 1999 World Federation of Engineering Organizations Award – 2005 Shanti Swaroop Bhatnagar Gold Medal – 1998 World Habitat Trophy – Building and Social Housing Foundation of UK – 1995 Heat Transfer Memorial Award – American Society of Mechanical Engineers – 1986

Honorary degrees and fellowships Arcot Ramachandran has been honoured by several prominent educational and research institutions, by way of Fellowships and Honoris Causa Doctoral degrees.

Honorary doctorates Purdue University, USA Stuttgart University, Germany University of Roorkee, India Andhra University, India Jawarharlal Nehru Technological University, India Anna University, India Indian Institute of Technology Madras, India University of Venice, Italy

Fellowships Life Fellow – Institution of Engineers Fellow of the Indian Institute of Science Fellow – American Society of Mechanical Engineers Fellow – American Society of Engineering Education Fellow – Institution of Mechanical Engineers Fellow – Indian National Science Academy Fellow – Indian Academy of Sciences Fellow – Indian National Academy of Engineering

Writings