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In the passing of Dr K Kasturirangan , I lost a dear friend, Bengaluru, Karnataka and the nation a prominent citizen, the Indian scientific community a tall leader, policy planners a great contributor, and the planet a truly caring global citizen . Much has been written about Kasturirangan's rich career as a space scientist , his contribution to the National Education Policy , and his role as a member of Parliament as well as Planning Commission. I'll focus on three of his less talked-about contributions.
You Can Also Check: Bengaluru AQI | Weather in Bengaluru | Bank Holidays in Bengaluru | Public Holidays in Bengaluru In 2006, Kasturirangan chaired an expert committee to modernise, decentralise, and democratise the city's administration; the transition from BMP to BBMP (about 800sqkm) marked a major expansion in Bengaluru's urban governance. The committee's recommendations were submitted in 2008. Interestingly, I was a member of the committee and had a chance to work with him closely.
All other members were urban planners of great repute. His uncanny sense of humour is best reflected in his comment: "Sadagopan, I know more about space than earth; you know only bits and nothing about atoms, that is why we both are in this committee, that is all about atoms on earth!" The Karnataka Knowledge Commission, under Kasturirangan's leadership from 2008 to 2019, made significant policy recommendations across multiple sectors, including Kanaja, an online encyclopedia launched in 2009 that had an ambitious goal of becoming the first port of call on any information in Kannada language. The State Education Policy that the commission submitted in 2016 formed the basis for the National Education Policy 2020.
The Cauvery Gallery, spread over 19,00sqft in Mysuru and opened during Dasara 2022, which highlights the river's cultural, ecological and historical significance through 3D models, maps and multimedia displays, is also a brainchild of the knowledge commission. The Machine Intelligence and Robotics CoE (MINRO), a research centre established at IIIT-Bengaluru in 2015, was based on the knowledge commission's recommendation. The visionary Dr Kasturirangan could see the future far ahead of anyone else — seven years ahead of ChatGPT! Finally, the human side of Dr Kasturirangan.
He agreed to my request to be at the IIITB convocation in 2015 when he had huge demands on his time; when I retired from IIITB, he penned a two-page letter to me, written in his own inimitable style; and his spirit of caring for others was unparalleled. Dr Rangan, you will be missed, dearly missed, not just for your wisdom, eloquence, and scholarship, but also for your care and sense of humour. (The writer is former director of IIIT-Bengaluru).
