Former Directors

Specialtyt: Materials Science

Born: 25 October, 1935 at Taunggyi in Burma.

Education: B.Sc in Metallurgical Engineering; Ph.D in Materials Science, London University

Career: Worked for Morganite Research and Development Co. Ltd., U.K., 1958-1962. Awarded prestigious Morganite Research Award, 1962 for his work on alumina based high temperature ceramic bearing components. He was responsible for the development of alumina particulate sintered bronze composite. From 1963-67 he served the United Kingdom Atomic Energyu Authorities, Harwell, U.K.; Lecturer and Post-Doctoral Fellow the University of Surrey, U.K.(1967-70). He was Director of Materials and Metallurgy Group, Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre(VSSC), Trivandrum, 1971. He took charge as Director, Central Glass & Ceramic Research Institute in September 01, 1988 and superannuated from CGCRI in 1995.

Fellow: Dr. Sarkar was the first Honorary Dean, Faculty of Science, Gandhiji University, Kerala. His teaching experience in UK helped him in recasting and updating the science syllabi of the university and introducing a two-year post-graduate course in Material Science.Fellow of the Indian Institute of Ceramics. Associated with Lanchester Polytechnic, Conventry, U.K.

Member: Member of several national committees on materials, e.g.Member, Council for Development of Materials for Electronics, DOE; Member, Board of Research in Nuclear Sciences, DAE; Member ISI on NDT and Chemical Engineering; Member, R&D Sub-committee of DGTD Ceramic Panel; Member, Programmed Advisory Committee in Engineering Sciences, DST. Founder Member of the Trivandrum Chapter of the Indian Ceramic Society. Vice-President, Indian Ceramic Society.

Awards & Honors: First recipient of the Malviya Award of the Indian Ceramic Society, 1974. His contributions in the development of the space materials, catalyst in particular, on which an embargo was imposed by the US Government, he was awarded the National Metallurgist Award in 1979.

Notable Contribution: He developed strategic materials for launch vehicle and satellite programmes of ISRO, which led to a large-scale import substitution and self-sufficiency. Significant amongst these are the 98% and above, one metre wide silica fabric which has since been commercialized; carbon cloth for aerospace application and upscaling production processes of various light alloys like titanium, aluminium and magnesium. As the programme Director, he was responsible for the indigenization of expensive, very high strength alloy steel called �Maraging Steel� for space use by utilizing industrial infrastructure available in the country. Filed 2 patents in CGCRI.