Ratan Shanker Mishra obtained his DSc (1952) from University of Lucknow specializing in differential geometry, relativity and fluid mechanics. He served as the Visiting Professor, University of Kuwait (1970, 1980-81, 1986), University of Windsor, Canada (1974) and University of Waterloo, Canada (1967, 1972); Lecturer, Ramjas College, Delhi College, Delhi and Lucknow University (1944-54); Reader, Department of Mathematics, University of Delhi (1954-58); Professor and Head, Department of Mathematics, University of Gorakhpur (1958-63); Professor and Head, Department of Mathematics (1963-68), University of Allahabad; and Professor and Head, Department of Mathematics (1968-78) and Dean, Faculty of Science (1972-75), Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi.

Academic and Research Achievements: A specialist in differential geometry, relativity and fluid mechanics, Mishra gave complete solutions of Einstein’s Unified Field Theory. In differential geometry, he has developed his own notation and has contributed a great deal on index-free notation.

Other Contributions: Member, Board of Director, United States Education Foundation in India and Nominating Committee of International Committee General Relativity and Gravitation. He authored Structures on a Differentiable Manifold and their Applications and Almost Contact Metri Manifolds; editor-in-chief, Progress in Mathematics; member, editorial board of Indian Journal of Pure and Applied Mathematics and Tensor. Mishra was a Member, INSA Council (1968-70).

Awards and Honours: Mishra was the Fellow, Indian Academy of Sciences, Bangalore, National Academy of Sciences (India), Allahabad. He also served as President, Indian Science Congress (1973-74).