Hyderabad: Padma Vibhushan awardee and former University of Hyderabad vice-chancellor prof. Palle Rama Rao, one of India’s leading metallurgists and science administrators, died in Hyderabad on Saturday. He was 89.The University of Hyderabad condoled his death, describing him as an “extraordinary scientist, a visionary leader and a beloved mentor”.Born on June 30, 1937, Rama Rao completed his MA in Physics from Madras University, MSc in Nuclear Physics from Andhra University and PhD in Metallurgy from Banaras Hindu University. He subsequently pursued postdoctoral research at the University of Pennsylvania.He began his academic career at the Indian Institute of Science in 1960 and later joined IIT-BHU, where he became professor of Physical Metallurgy. His research focused on structural imperfections in metals, the mechanical behaviour of alloys and fracture characteristics. He was awarded the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize for Engineering Sciences in 1979.Rama Rao served as UoH vice-chancellor from 1999 to 2002. During his tenure, the university was awarded the UGC’s ‘University with Potential for Excellence’ status and five-star NAAC accreditation, besides securing significant research funding from the Department of Science and Technology. He also promoted interdisciplinary research and university-industry collaborations.He later served as secretary of the Department of Science and Technology and the Department of Ocean Development, chairman of the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board and director of the Defence Metallurgical Research Laboratory.Rama Rao was awarded the Padma Vibhushan in 2011.
