P. V. S. Rao

Paranandi Venkata Suryanarayana Rao is an Indian computer scientist, known for his research in the fields of speech and script recognition and is credited with contributions to the development of TIFRAC, the first indigenously developed electronic computer in India. He is a recipient of awards such as IEEE Third Millenium Medal, Vikram Sarabhai Award, Om Prakash Bhasin Award and VASVIK Industrial Research Award. The Government of India awarded him the fourth highest civilian honour of Padma Shri in 1987.

Biography P. V. S. Rao was born on 17 July 1936 to Venkata Suryanarayana and Ramalakshmamma Paranandi in Berhampur, in the Indian state of Odisha. He graduated in science from Utkal University in 1953 and secured a master's degree in science (Physics) from Banaras Hindu University in 1955. Rao joined the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) in the R&D department of computers in 1955. He obtained a doctoral degree in Physics for his work on the display of text and graphics on computer screens from the University of Mumbai. During his tenure at TIFR, he worked as the Project Director of a sponsored project on Air Defence Systems (1972–84), and a research project on Knowledge-based Computer Systems sponsored jointly by the United Nations Development Program and the Government of India. He was Professor and Head of the Speech and Digital Systems Group (later named the Computer Systems and Communications Group, 1978–82) and Senior Professor and the Head of the Computer Systems and Communications Group (1980–98). Later, he headed the development of OLDAP, another TIFR computer project. the Indian National Science Academy, the National Academy of Sciences (India), and the Computer Society of India and the Acoustical Society of India. Distinguished Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, and a Senior Member and Distinguished Visitor of the Institution of Electronics and Telecommunication Engineers. He received the Vikram Sarabhai Award from Hari Om Ashram, Gujarat in 1976. Three major awards reached him in 1987, the Om Prakash Bhasin Award from the O. P. Bhasin Foundation, the VASVIK Industrial Research Award from Vividhlakshi Audyogik Samshodhan Vikas Kendra and the civilian honour of Padma Shri from the Government of India. The Computer Society of India honoured him with a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2012.