By Srinidhi Murthy Illustration: Anvita Tekriwal Govind Swarup was one of the pioneers of radio astronomy, responsible for building one of the world’s largest telescopes, making India one of the leading countries in astronomical research. For his immense contribution in the field of astronomy, he is called the Father of Indian Radio Astronomy. Early years Swarup was born on March 23, 1929, in the town of Thakurdwara in Uttar Pradesh. In one of his interviews, he stated that his mother wanted him to become a civil engineer, but his father and uncle encouraged him to pursue a career in science, a subject very dear to his heart. While pursuing his masters degree at Allahabad University, he got an opportunity to learn from the veteran physicist K.S. Krishnan who taught him electricity magnetism in his first year. In 1947, Swarup also had the good fortune of meeting the Nobel Laureate Sir C.V. Raman. Higher Education After obtaining his masters degree from Allahabad University in 1950, Swarup joined the newly formed National Physical Laboratory (NPL) and began to work in the area of paramagnetic resonance, once again under the guidance of K.S. Krishnan. In 1960, he completed his doctorate focuse...