Prof. Suvrat Raju, ICTS (Bengaluru) of the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research gave a distinguished lecture on Scientists in the Information Age in KRB Auditorium on 22 January. 

In this lecture Prof. Suvrat Raju talked about:  How can scientists contribute to Indian society beyond their professional work? The country faces several challenges that are at the interface of science and society. These include questions of intellectual property rights, progress in artificial intelligence, questions about nuclear energy and weapons, and questions of science and education policy. In addition, scientists are also citizens and have a duty to uphold constitutional values and the principles of academic freedom. How have they met this challenge? What position has the state taken?  What constructive steps can those of us who work in academic institutions take here?

Suvrat Raju is a professor of physics at the International Centre for Theoretical Sciences (Bengaluru) of the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research. His research focuses on black holes, quantum gravity and quantum field theory. He has also written on issues related to science and society. He received several awards like – Nishina Asia award, Asian Scientist 100, ICTP Prize, Swarnajayanti Fellowship, Indian National Science Academy, National Academy of Sciences of India.

January 2026