Renowned Indian scientist and educationist Daulat Singh Kothari made important contributions to modernizing Indian education as well as defense research. Kothari, who was born into a Jain family and lived in the royal kingdom of Udaipur, had early struggles when his father, a teacher, died from the plague when Kothari was just 12 years old.
Raised by his mother, Kothari first studied in Udaipur and Indore before attending Allahabad University to complete his BSc and MSc degrees, where he was fortunate to be taught by Meghnad Saha. After that, he continued his education at Cambridge University, where he received a PhD for a thesis he had written on dense matter and quantum statistics.
After coming back to India, Kothari became a Physics Professor at Delhi University, where he worked in a number of roles throughout the years. On July 12, 1948, he became the Minister of Defense’s first Scientific Adviser. Known as the “Architect of Defence Science” in India, Kothari was paid a meagre Rs 1 by the ministry even though he was entitled to a greater wage.
Even with his heavy workload in defense science, Kothari stayed on as an academic faculty member at the institution. Later in his career, he became the head of the Education Commission at the University Grants Commission (UGC), where he also held the position of chairman. The Kothari panel report, which was produced by this panel, is well-known for having had a significant influence on the development of India’s current educational system.
In 1962 and 1973, respectively, DS Kothari received the Padma Bhushan and the Padma Vibhushan as recognition for his exceptional services. Sujan Kanwar (née Surana) and Kothari were married. Lakshman, his son, pursued his father’s career as a physicist and professor at Delhi University, specializing in solid-state physics and neutron physics.
Another son, Lalit, made a name for himself as a physiology professor before retiring. At ninety-two, he still leads an active life in Jaipur. Jeevan, the youngest son, is a renowned architect.