WM Vaidya received PhD from the University of London, UK. He served as Assistant Director, Optics Division, National Physical Laboratory, New Delhi, and Professor of Physics, Karnatak University, Dharwar.

Academic and Research Achievements: Vaidya had keen interest in the areas: optics, and spectroscopy. He did some pioneering work on flame spectra and elucidated the mechanism of combustion processes. He discovered a new band system in the spectra of hydrocarbon flame, named `Vaidya bands’. He specialized in problems of vision at low levels of illumination with applications to safety of aircraft and railways. By organizing projects on cockpit illumination and lighting on runways, he helped to build up the efficiency of the Indian Air Force planes. He assisted the Indian industry to improve the quality of railway signal glasses so as to bring them up to international safety requirements. As a result, India became self-sufficient in signal glasses and also built up a flourishing export market

Awards and Honours: Dr Vaidya was elected President of the Physics Section, Indian Science Congress (1966).