A Lakshmi Narayan obtained his DSc (1924) from University of Madras specializing in physics – spectroscopy. He served as the Deputy Director and Director (1929-47), Solar Physics Laboratory, Kodaikanal; Principal, Maharajah College of Vizianagaram; Vice-Chancellor, Andhra University and Member, Andhra Pradesh Planning Commission.

Academic and Research Achievements:Narayan was well known for this resourcefulness and creativity in fabricating apparatus for his research. He rigged up, for example, a small workshop in which he did his own glassblowing for making gas discharge tubes and made use of a single-stage vacuum pump and a mercury diffusion pump to create high vacua needed for his experiments. He used a dynamo coupled with a set of batteries for exciting are spectra. In the case of spark spectra requiring high voltages of about 15,000 volts he used an induction coil. He constructed his own special Schumann photographic plates and equipped his laboratory with the components necessary for studying visible, ultraviolet and infrared spectra.

Awards and Honours:Narayan was the recipient of Curzon Memorial Prize instituted by Maharajah of Travancore. He was a Fellow, Institute of Physics (London), and served as the President, Physics Section, Indian Science Congress.