Bimla Buti

Bimla Buti (19 September 1933 – 24 February 2024) was an Indian physicist who specialized in the field of plasma physics. She was the first Indian woman Physicist Fellow of Indian National Science Academy(INSA). In 1994, she was awarded INSA-Vainu Bappu Award.

Education Buti obtained a BSc (Hons) and a MSc degree in Physics from University of Delhi. She was admitted to the University of Chicago for doctoral studies. She worked under the supervision of Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar and in 1962 she earned a PhD degree in plasma physics. Two years later, she went back to the US to work at Goddard Space Flight Center.

In 1968 Buti came back to India and took a job at the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi. Vikram Sarabhai, the then Director of Physical Research Laboratory (PRL), invited Buti to join PRL, where Buti served from 1970 to 1993 as Associate Professor, Professor, Senior Professor and Dean of Faculty.

Awards and honours Buti has received the following awards during her career—