Pisharoth Rama Pisharoty obtained PhD (1954) from University of California, Los Angles, USA. He became Director, Indian Institute of Geomagnetism, Mumbai, Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, Pune, and Remote Sensing and Meteorology Division, Space Application Centre, ISRO, Ahmedabad; and Senior Professor, Physical Research Laboratory, Ahmedabad.

Academic and Research Achievements: Working in the areas meteorology and remote sensing, Pisharoty found that mid-latitude low-pressure systems moving eastward across the northern Himalaya cause (a) a break in the monsoon rains over a major part of India, (b) recurvature of monsoon depressions in late August and September towards western Himalaya leading to very heavy rains there. He also showed that: (i) the Indian summer monsoon is a delayed response to the inadequate poleward transport of heat in the northern hemisphere during the antecedent winter; and (ii) a significant part of the moisture for an active monsoon period arises through evaporation from the Arabian Sea. He authored seven books including CV Raman (1982), Satellite Story (1985), Meteorology for Indian Farmers (1986), Climate of Kerala (in Malayalam, 1992) and Tropical Cyclone (1993).

Other Contributions: Professor Pisharoty was primarily responsible for introducing remote sensing technology in India. He served as Member of the Joint Organizing Committee for Global Atmospheric Research Programme (1968-76); Indo-US Collaborative Programme for Science and Technology; and INCOSPAR. He also served on the Editorial Board of Mausam.

Awards and Honours: Pisharoty was recipient of many awards, notably: Padma Shri Award (1970); Ponnada by Government of Kerala (1987); CV Raman Centenary Medal by Indian Association for the Cultivation of Sciences (1988); IMO Prize by World Meteorological Organization (1989); and KR Ramanathan Medal by INSA (1990). He was also President of the Scientific Advisory Committee, World Meteorological Organization, and Indian Meteorological Society; and Vice-President, International Association for Meteorology and Atmospheric Physics. He was elected Fellow of the Royal Meteorological Society, American Meteorological Society and Indian Academy of Sciences, Bangalore.