Prof.C.Nagabhushan, is an iconic personality of science in the Bellary District. He needs to be remembered as a man behind the Bellary District Sub-Regional Science centre, a pioneer in popularizing science, a HAM-radio amateur and a science writer.
Nagabhushan was born on 12th October 1947 in a middle class family of a small village Ambali near Kottur of Bellary District. His parents were Mudukappa and Savithramma. Mudukappa’s family was a big and happy family; Nagabhushan was the youngest of the seven children. Apart from his mother’s love he was affectionately looked after by his six elder sisters. He finished his early education at Koppal, staying in his brother-in-law’s home. Later he moved to Bellary for his intermediate (PUC) education at Veerasaiva College. He completed his B.Sc. course at the same college and obtained the Bachelor’s Degree in 1967 from Karnataka University. Young Nagabhushan was greatly attracted by Physics and its experiments. So he decided to join M.Sc. Physics at Karnataka University, Dharwad. He obtained M.Sc. with 2nd Rank in 1970 with Radio Physics and electronics as specialization subjects.
In 1970, Nagabhushan started his career as a lecturer of physics at Veerasaiva College, Bellary. He has served the college for three and half a decade, played a great role in bringing up his departments in efficiently catering the knowledge to the inwards, 35 years of his yeoman service with full regard and respect to his college, he gained lot of love and affection from the staff and students till his retirement as the Professor & Head of Physics & Electronics Department in 2005.
Prof. Nagabhushan was always inspiring his students to make career in basic science. He was very particular in conducting science workshops and seminars to his students. Student’s science association, which was started under his guidance, played an important role in popularizing the science to promote science activities in the college. When I was a B.Sc. student at Veerasaiva College, I was made as the Secretary of Student’s Science Association. Since, I was an active student in popularization of science and at the same period I was running a voluntary science organization “Madame Curie Science Academy”, probably this might have made him to select me as the Secretary of Science Association. We organized many science programmes by inviting stalwarts like Dr.S.J.Nagalotimut, renowned science communicator, Dr.G.Ramakrishna and many more such luminaries. These very programmes organized by the association, had succeeded in generating a passion for science amongst the students.
In the due course, Prof. Nagabhushan was selected as a Teacher Research Fellow, at Liquid Crystal Research Laboratory, Raman Research Institute of Bangalore during 1983-87 for the Ph.D. Degree. He carried out various studies on liquid crystals, the delicate state of matter, under the guidance of the renowned physicist Prof. S. Chandra Sekhar, FRS. He was awarded Doctor of Philosophy for his thesis titled “Experimental studied on Dielectric Properties of Liquid Crystals”. Based on his research, he has published nine research papers in journals of International repute. He has attended many national & international conferences on liquid crystals. In 2002, his participation in the International Liquid Crystal Conference held at International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP), Trieste, Italy is of worth mention.
Apart from his academics, Prof.Nagabhushan has served in various committees, bodies and held different positions. He has rendered his services as Academic Counselor of Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), Study Centre, Bellary. He has worked as Hon. Secretary, Bellary District Centre for Science & Technology, Working President of Bellary Bharatha Jana Gnana Vijnana Jatha (1992), Working President of the District Organizing Committee, the year of Scientific Awareness-2004.
Prof.Nagabhushan is basically a man of definite vision and of different hobbies. Radio physics, his specialization subject of M.Sc., made him a HAM, in his later years. I am very proud for being his student. Many a times I got an opportunity to visit his home and have a closer look on his personal belongings. Each time I visited his home, a line on his wooden cupboard “I AM A HAM” drew my attention! Out of curiosity, when I asked him about this, he explained me that it is his popular scientific hobby. Any radio amateur can practice this hobby. In fact, his specialization subject radio physics of M.Sc. might have made possible to him to become a HAM. In 1980, he had established Vijayanagar Amateur Radio Club to promote HAM.
But for his encouragement, even after my college days, during the year of Scientific Awareness, 2004, he made me as a Dist. Joint-Convener for the above said committee, considering my science outreach activities and active participation. Perhaps, the teacher-student relationship of us had helped in successfully organizing the year long scientific awareness programmes. Even today, his interaction with me is unique. As a member of the advisory committee of the Madame Curie Science Academy, he always encourages all our science activities.
Prof. Nagabhushan has visited many countries as a part of his academics. He visited Brazil as a member of group study exchange programme sponsored by Rotary International in 1995. He also visited Italy, Germany & France in 2002 and USA in 2011. As a writer he has authored the books ‘Radio Amateur-HAM’, “Badukina Bhagya Vignana’ and ‘Naa Kanda Brazil’. Prof. Nagabhushan is instrumental in getting 10 acres of land from the District administration for the Bellary district sub-regional science centre. Presently, as a curator of this centre, he is very keen on developing the science museum, planetarium, Biodiversity Park. For his selfless services he has got District Level Karnataka Rajyotsava Award in 1991.
Prof. Nagabhushan presently working as a Prof. & Head in a private engineering college at Bangalore. In recognition of his exemplary science services to the overall development of the Bellary District, Bellary, he has been conferred the prestigious “Namma Bellary Prashasti-2013” by the “nammabellary.com” of SA9 Media group. Teachers like Nagabhushan, working for noble cause with passion are the need of the society to mould our younger generation. I wish him all the very best for his future endeavors.