Nalini Kanta Saha received Dr der Nat (1938) from University of Heidelberg. Germany. He remained Professor of Physics at University of Delhi, Delhi.

Academic and Research Achievements: Professor Saha worked on electron theory of metals and pressure effect of electrical resistance of metals based on Nordheim’s `rigid ionic’ model with much success. He developed several types of nuclear radiation measuring instruments. The ‘spark-counter’, a multiwire sparking system, stands out perhaps as a precursor of the well-known ‘spark chamber’. In later years, his interest shifted to the study of the excitation functions of some nuclear reactions and to the measurement of ??(?), the directional correlation of ??-cascades, in a series of medium heavy nuclei, and to the supporting precision measurements of E?, ??-coincidence-spectra and ??, the half life of nuclear excited states. These provide valuable spectroscopic data including the nuclear decay schemes and level-properties and ?-transition probabilities, and point out the difficulties of some of the existing nuclear coupling schemes. He extended the investigations to the study of ??(?), the perturbed angular correlation of the ?,?-decays in a thin polycrystalline sample of americum-241. The results throw light on the nature of the perturbing interactions and the internal fields of the solid state sample material. He co-authored (with Meghnad Saha) the publication A Treatise of Modern Physics (1934).

Other Contributions: Saha delivered popular science lectures, especially on atomic science and atomic energy. He served as Member of the Indian Physical Society and American Physical Society.

Awards and Honours: Professor Saha was elected President of the Physics Section of Indian Science Congress (1970).