Himalayan Geology, Vol. 41 (2), 2020, pp. 211-212, Printed in India
OBITUARY
Professor K.S. Valdiya
(1937-2020)
Professor Khadak Singh Valdiya was born on 20th March, 1937 in Kalawar, Burma which was part of the British Empire. With end of the empire in south Asia, India became an independent nation in 1947. Post–independence, the Valdiya family migrated back to their native place in Pithoragarh, Kumaun Hills. Khadak Singh got his early education in the local schools of Pithoragarh during 1947-1953. After schooling, he moved from the hills to Lucknow, the capital of Uttar Pradesh state, and joined the Lucknow university for higher education. He passed his M.Sc geology with distinction of getting the Chanceller Gold Medal for education excellence, and later he did his Ph.D. from Lucknow university in 1969. He was appointed a lecture in the Geology Department of the university where he served from 1957 to 1969. From there he initiated his research in Himalayan Geology. Among his earliest contribution was the discovery of stromatolites and assigning Pre Cambrian age to the carbonates formation of Pithoragarh in the unfossiliferous Lesser Himalaya sequence. This gave him his earliest recognition in finding a reference place in the famous book on the Geoogy of Himalaya by Augusto Gansser. In 1965-1966, K.S. Valdiya went abroad as a Fulbright Fellow at the Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, USA. Despite 12 years of teaching experience and very good contribution on Himalayan geology, with no avenue opening up for further promotion in Lucknow, he moved to Udaipur to become Reader in the Geology Department of Rajasthan university. During this time, D.N. Wadia with support of senior professors including A.G. Jhingran, R.C. Misra, W.D. West, R.S. Mittal, and others was able to convince the Government of India to establish the Institute of Himalayan Geology. The institute started functioning under the aegis of Geology Department of Delhi University headed by A.G. Jhingran. Impressed by his contribution on the Himalayan Geology, D.N. Wadia invited K.S. Valdiya (KSV) to join the newly formed institute. KSV was appointed as a Senior Scientific Officer in 1970 and later was promoted as the Deputy Director in 1973 to head the institute. In the meantime, the institute was transferred from the Ministry of Education to the newly formed Department of Science and Technology. In 1976, the post of Director of the institute was advertised for open selection. Unfortunately, KSV did not get the position, and in response decided to quit the Wadia Institute. He was offered the post of Professor in the Kumaun university with the invitation to organize the Geology Department. He remained at the position of Professor in the Kumaun university, holding several portfolios: Dean of Science, Acting Vice-Chancellor, and Vice-Chancellor. He was a great organizer and man with vision. He created a well-designed building located on the most beautiful wooded slope of Nainital southern ridge. The Geology Department became one of the finest center for teaching and research in the country. Subsequenly, KSV had attained a stature that was recognized not only by geoscientists alone but also became close associate among other eminent scientists like M.G.K Menon, S. Varadrajan and C.N. Rao. M.G.K Menon inducted KSV as a member of the Scientific Advisory Committee to the Cabinet, a rare recognition to a geologist. Later C.N. Rao offered him the position of a Professor at the newly formed Jawahar Lal Nehru Center for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR). KSV joined the JNCASR as a Professor of Geodynamics in 1995 and remained there till 2009. On his retirement he was the Honorary Professor of Geodynamics at the JNCASR.
He was a gifted writer, narrator and orator. In his earlier days he used to write popular articles both in Hindi and English magazines. Later years his passion for writing never diminished and produced large number of books. Making of India, Sarswati and Environmental Geology are some of the titles out of a total of 15 books written by KSV.
KSV generated a vast amount of data formulating significant contributions in Himalayan geology and tectonics. The stratigraphy of Lesser Himalaya was in clutter due to several controversies in nomenclature and correlations. A synthesis was made in the Geology of Kumaun Lesser Himalaya based on N-S and E-W traverses taken combined with petrographic and field correlation of stratigraphic units. He wrote several benchmark review paper on different important topics. He was a pioneer in initiating neotectonic and active faults investigation in the Sub- and the Lesser Himalaya. Transverse structures, delineation of Himadari Fault, sromatolites based stratigraphy were other major contributions. He was a gifted writer, narrator and orator. He wrote about 40 popular articles in Hindi magazines His passion for writing never diminished and that led to producing 15 books, including important ones: Making of India, Sarswati and Environmental Geology. During his later years as Honorary Professor in the JNCASR, producing books almost one every year, he turned back to his native Pithoragarh for societal endeavour. Under the age is of C.N. Rao' Hall of Science, KSV organized Science Outreach Programme for improvement of science teaching in High and Intermediate schools in Pithoragarh hills. Besides, he was also active in carrying Himalayan environment awareness in the Uttarakhand in cooperation with Padama Bhushan Chandi Prasad Bhat.
Professor K.S. Valdiya received many medals of distinctions and was coveted with national awards for his contribution on Himalayan Geology, the important ones are: 2015 Padmbhushan for Science, Government of India, 2007 Padmashri for Science, Government of India, 1997 National Mineral Award of Excellence, Government of India, 1993 National Mineral Award of the Ministry of Mines, Government of India, 1982-1984 P. Pant National Environment Fellow, Department of Environment, Government of India, 1977-1978 National Lecturer, University Grants Commission, 1976 Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize of the CSIR.
On his demise, the geosccience community in the country has lost a great and eminent Himalayan geologist, an environmentalist and a humanist.
V.C. THAKUR
Former Director, WIHG, Dehradun
Email: thakurvc12@gmail.com
