Charles Solomon Pichamuthu received PhD (1936), and DSc (1948) from University of Glasgow, UK. He was Professor of Geology in the universities of Mysore, Malaya, Andhra and Bangalore; and also Director, Mines and Geology, Karnataka.

Academic and Research Achievements: Pichamuthu’s seminal work shed light on several fundamental problems concerned with the evolution of the continental crust, greenstone belts, charnockites, gneisses, and granites of Karnataka. He found evidence for the transformation of Peninsular gneiss to charnockite in a quarry at Kabbaldurga. This was the starting point for research on this important topic. Kabbaldurga has since become world famous.

Other Contributions: Pichamuthu served as Chairman, Sri Gomateswara Renovation Research Committee, Government of Karnataka; and Member, INSA Council (1973-75), Society of Economic Geologists of India and Royal Society of Edinburgh.

Awards and Honours: Professor Pichamuthu was conferred the Mysore Geologists’ Association Gold Medal (1972), Pramatha Nath Bose Medal by Asiatic Society (1974), Golden Jubilee Lecture by Geological, Mining and Metallurgical Society of India (1974) and DN Wadia Medal of INSA (1984). He was elected Fellow of the Indian Academy of Sciences, Bangalore; Member, Geological Societies of London and India (President, 1972-84); and President, Geological, Mining and Metallurgical Society of India, Science Society of Malaya, and Geology and Geography Section, Indian Science Congress (1947).