Prafulla Kumar Jena

Prafulla Kumar Jena (27 December 1931 – 7 March 2023) was an Indian metallurgist who served as director of the National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology (formerly Regional Research Laboratory) of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Bhubaneshwar. He previously held the TATA Chair for the Distinguished Professor of Metallurgical Engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur.

Biography Jena was born on 27 December 1931 in Taliha, Jajpur, Odisha. He completed his graduate degree in chemistry with honors and a master's degree in physical chemistry from Utkal University. He remained at the university for his doctoral research to secure a Ph.D. Before holding the Tata Chair of the Distinguished Professor at the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, department of metallurgical engineering, Jena served as the director of the Regional Research Laboratory (RRL) of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) (1972) and as the director general of CSIR (1986).

Research Jena's research focused on the upgradation of ores and minerals, and the recovery of value resources from industrial wastes and is known to have developed methods for recovery of coal fines from slime, iron values from tailings and the beneficiation of low-grade iron and manganese ores. He had also contributed in the areas of chloride metallurgy of non-ferrous ores and extraction of nickel, cobalt, copper, lead, zinc, vanadium, and manganese. His research helped develop new waste management processes as well as value recovery processes from industrial and mining wastes. Over his career he published 240 research papers and held 55 patents.

Jena's contributions are noted in the establishment of Odisha’s Science Park. He had also been the founder president of the Natural Resources Development Foundation (NRDF), Bhubaneswar and was the founder chairman of the Institute of Advance Technology & Environmental Studies (IATES), Bhubaneswar. from the Indian Institute of Metals and the civilian honour of Padma Shri from the Government of India in 1977. BHU Distinguished Services Award (2008), Times of India Think Odisha Leadership Award (2010), Rajiv Gandhi Professional Award (2012), and Indian Institute of Engineering Science and Technology, Shibpur Distinguished Scientist Award (2012). The Odisha government announced that his funeral would be held with state honors.