JC Bhattacharya obtained his DPhil degree (1971) from the University of Oxford, UK with specialization in experimental astrophysics. He was Director (1982-90) and Emeritus Professor (1990 onwards), Indian Institute of Astrophysics, Bangalore.

Academic and Research Achievements: Using ionospheric data during a solar flare, Bhattacharyya developed a method of estimating spectral characteristics of ionizing radiation. He designed and constructed several electronic instruments for photometric recording of astronomical data, including the solar magnetograph at Kodaikanal. Bhattacharya discovered, among others, thin atmosphere on Jupiter's satellite Ganymede and the detailed ring structure around Uranus by occultation techniques.

Other Contributions: Bhattacharya served as Vice President (1988-91) and President (1991-94), Commission 9 of International Astronomical Union.

Awards and Honours: Bhattacharya was a recipient of UGC-Hari Om Trust Award and Sir CV Raman Award (1986). He was conferred on several lectureships such as Professor PA Pandya Memorial Lecture of Indian Physics Association (1985), Vikram Sarabhai Memorial Lecture of IETE (1985), Professor SVC Aiya Lecture of IETE (1986), and A Roy Memorial Lecture of Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science (1993). He was a Fellow of the Indian Academy of Sciences, Bangalore, the Institution of Electronics & Telecommunication Engineers (IETE), and the National Academy of Sciences (India), Allahabad.