Lakshminarayanapuram Ananthakrishnaiyer Ramdas obtained PhD (1927) from University of Calcutta. He served as Assistant Meteorologist, Meteorological Office, Karachi (1926-30); Meteorologist-in-Charge, Agricultural Meteorology Section, Meteorological Office, Pune (1931-40); Director (1940-53), Deputy Director-General of Observatories (1953-56), India Meteorological Department, Government of India; Assistant Director (1956-60), National Physical Laboratory, New Delhi (1956-60); and CSIR Emeritus Scientist (1965-70).

Academic and Research Achievements: Working in the area agricultural meteorology, Ramdas studied problems of the volume and surface scattering of light by liquids and vapours. He measured the changes taking place in the temperature and moisture content of air layers close to the ground, up to a height of about 10 ft from early morning to late afternoon hours, and found that just above the heated land there were narrow jets of rising hot air alternating with broader areas of descending cold air. His research spanned: (i) micrometeorology (development of instruments) (ii) radiation; (iii) soil physics, (iv) plant physiology in relation to meteorological factors, (v) and statistical crop-weather relationship and analysis of meteorological data.

Other Contributions: Dr Ramdas organized Agricultural Meteorology Section of the Meteorological Office, Pune. He was Member of the American Meteorological Society (President, Physics Section, 1948) and INSA Council (1945-47, 1950-52).

Awards and Honours: Dr Ramdas received Padma Shree (1958). He was elected Fellow of the Indian Academy of Sciences, Bangalore; National Academy of Sciences (India), Allahabad; Indian Meteorological Society; Royal Meteorological Society, London; World Academy of Art and Science; Indian Geophysical Union; and President, Physics Section, Indian Science Congress (1948).