Hosur a village near Gauribidanur in Kolar districts in Karnataka, where he was born to a very poor parents they were the most illiterate people among others, moreover they were from most disadvantaged community.
As soon Narasimhaiah completed his elementary education, he left Kolar and came to Bangalore to join National High School at Basavanagudi in Bangalore in the year 1935, later he earned his B.Sc., in honors as well as Master’s degree in Physics in distinction from the famous Central College in Bangalore in the year 1946, then his next assignment was to join National College at Bangalore as an Lecturer.
From 1946 to 1957 he taught at National College later he went to Columbus, Ohio and got his PhD in Nuclear Physics from Ohio State University in the year 1960, later he become the principal of National College at Basavanagudi in Bangalore and he served in that position from 1961 to 1972, from 1967 to 1968 he got Fulbright Scholarship and also taught at Southern Illinois, University at Carbondale, Illinois as an visiting professor, later in the year 1962, he founded a forum called Bangalore Science Forum, which has the distinction of conducting weekly public lectures on important science topics.
In the year 1973 he became Vice-Chancellor of the Bangalore University and served in that position till 1977, in that period the Bangalore University saw some major and drastic changes, one among them was he introduced psychology, social work, drama, music and also dance as major optional subjects, he has served as an MLC, and in the year 1984 in recognition to his social and educational service he was conferred Padma Bhushana from the Indian Government, he left for heavenly abode on 31st January in the year 2005, at that time he was serving as the President of the National Education Society.
He had practiced the Gandhian principles throughout his life, as he stayed at same bare hostel room for over 50 years even when he was the Vice-Chancellor of Bangalore University, a disciplined habit, simple living and a very frugally natured, he entered that bare hostel room as an student, later as an lecturer, then as principal and after that as an Vice-Chancellor, a lean and a tall figured Narasimhaiah wore Khadi Dhoti and Khadi Jubba with a Gandhi Topi for his entire life.
As he was born in an disadvantaged community he was not allowed to attend the classes by his headmaster, very next day he came to Bangalore in bare foot covering 85 km to join National High School at Bangalore
He was very serious about the work a stuffy professor but he was also famous for his sense of humor. One of his humorous example was as an freedom fighter he was jailed at Central Jail for three times, once he said central jail is no different from central college where he was the principal because in both places he was given free food, his slogan always was he wants to live to work and will work till he dies.
Now many of his students are in prominent positions holding prestigious scientific chairs in universities and prestigious research institutions, many have become Emeritus professors, successful journalists and entrepreneurs. Science and its promotion was his constant concern
Even in his death he has written a will in that he has requested the state and college authorities not to declare a holiday after his death, though the grief of his death was genuine because of his presence in an permanent natured, as the trees he had planted and nurtured at National College, Basavanagudi, Bangalore still there to tell about him and his achievements.
As soon Narasimhaiah completed his elementary education, he left Kolar and came to Bangalore to join National High School at Basavanagudi in Bangalore in the year 1935, later he earned his B.Sc., in honors as well as Master’s degree in Physics in distinction from the famous Central College in Bangalore in the year 1946, then his next assignment was to join National College at Bangalore as an Lecturer.
From 1946 to 1957 he taught at National College later he went to Columbus, Ohio and got his PhD in Nuclear Physics from Ohio State University in the year 1960, later he become the principal of National College at Basavanagudi in Bangalore and he served in that position from 1961 to 1972, from 1967 to 1968 he got Fulbright Scholarship and also taught at Southern Illinois, University at Carbondale, Illinois as an visiting professor, later in the year 1962, he founded a forum called Bangalore Science Forum, which has the distinction of conducting weekly public lectures on important science topics.
In the year 1973 he became Vice-Chancellor of the Bangalore University and served in that position till 1977, in that period the Bangalore University saw some major and drastic changes, one among them was he introduced psychology, social work, drama, music and also dance as major optional subjects, he has served as an MLC, and in the year 1984 in recognition to his social and educational service he was conferred Padma Bhushana from the Indian Government, he left for heavenly abode on 31st January in the year 2005, at that time he was serving as the President of the National Education Society.
He had practiced the Gandhian principles throughout his life, as he stayed at same bare hostel room for over 50 years even when he was the Vice-Chancellor of Bangalore University, a disciplined habit, simple living and a very frugally natured, he entered that bare hostel room as an student, later as an lecturer, then as principal and after that as an Vice-Chancellor, a lean and a tall figured Narasimhaiah wore Khadi Dhoti and Khadi Jubba with a Gandhi Topi for his entire life.
As he was born in an disadvantaged community he was not allowed to attend the classes by his headmaster, very next day he came to Bangalore in bare foot covering 85 km to join National High School at Bangalore
He was very serious about the work a stuffy professor but he was also famous for his sense of humor. One of his humorous example was as an freedom fighter he was jailed at Central Jail for three times, once he said central jail is no different from central college where he was the principal because in both places he was given free food, his slogan always was he wants to live to work and will work till he dies.
Now many of his students are in prominent positions holding prestigious scientific chairs in universities and prestigious research institutions, many have become Emeritus professors, successful journalists and entrepreneurs. Science and its promotion was his constant concern
Even in his death he has written a will in that he has requested the state and college authorities not to declare a holiday after his death, though the grief of his death was genuine because of his presence in an permanent natured, as the trees he had planted and nurtured at National College, Basavanagudi, Bangalore still there to tell about him and his achievements.
HN’s family background was anything but lofty or given traditionally to achievements in education or the higher arts. Born to a poor teacher in Karnataka’s Hosur village, Narasimhaiah would’ve dropped out of school but for the vision of his kind headmaster M S Narayan Rai, who spotted keen intelligence in the boy. Upon his own transfer to Bangalore’s ‘National School’, he urged Narasimhaiah to come and study there. Deeply influenced by Gandhi, Narasimhaiah took to wearing Khadi when very young, sticking to it all his life, among other Gandhian beliefs.
The highpoint of his life was meeting Gandhiji as a boy of 14,in 1936 at his School in Bangalore. Narasimhaiah translated Gandhiji’s speech to Kannada- a feat he never ceased to be amazed with himself! It was a story he was to tell all his life to his students, they in turn basking in reflected glory.
The highpoint of his life was meeting Gandhiji as a boy of 14,in 1936 at his School in Bangalore. Narasimhaiah translated Gandhiji’s speech to Kannada- a feat he never ceased to be amazed with himself! It was a story he was to tell all his life to his students, they in turn basking in reflected glory.
After his Masters in Physics, Narasimhaiah went on to do his PhD in Nuclear Physics from the Ohio State University in ‘46. His tale of how he survived on Ragi for two years went on to become part of HN lore.
Hardly the serious, stuffy Professor, HN was famous for his sense of humour, often at his own expense. Students chuckle remembering how he’d bribe them with ‘Kadlekai’ (groundnuts) to stay on in physics class on sleepy Saturday afternoons; or how responding to a reporter’s query of his experiences in Jail (to which he went thrice in different parts of the country during the Freedom Struggle) he said he found the ‘Central Jail’, where he was housed, no different than the ‘Central College hostel’ - across the road- because in both places, he was given free food! He took life lightly, and would say, “I want to live to work; will work till I die”. (Read a profile of him in Kannada)
Most of his ex-students went on to hold prestigious scientific chairs in Universities and high profile research institutions, becoming Emeritus Professors or successful journalists or entrepreneurs. HN however stuck to dedicating his life (and his remarkable mind) to serve education, accepting no other vocation but that, in his long life.
Science and its promotion were a constant passion � this writer remembers being introduced to him several years ago and HN only saying ‘Yaake, pure science ododikke ishta illava?’- ‘Don’t you want to study ‘Pure Science’?’ The Deccan Herald, in its tribute to the man, recollected the day he was conferred with the Padma Bhushan, when HN called up the newspaper to only inquire whether the press release of the latest Science Forum event he’d sent had reached them or not!
True to form, HN had expressly stated in his will that there be no holiday declared in the School and College at his death. He had to be denied that wish: the grieving numbers of his students and the press of visitors, come to see him one last time, forced the authorities to declare the day off.
Although not formally aligned to any political party, HN was resolutely opposed to fundamentalism of every kind. "He had the courage to stand up for what he believed in," said Dr. G. Ramakrishna, former Professor of English at the National College, and a close friend and colleague of HN's. Ramakrishna recalled an incident in the early 1970's when, during the university convocation, he and a group of teachers and students led a demonstration against the chief guest, the jurist Nani Palkhiwala. Palkhiwala had written an article supporting the entry of the U.S. Seventh Fleet into the Bay of Bengal just prior to the Bangladesh war. HN was principal of the National College at that time, and was asked by the Registrar of the University to take disciplinary action against Ramakrishna for demonstrating during the University convocation. "HN tore up the letter in front of a group of teachers saying that it did not deserve a response. He said that it was the democratic right of everyone to protest, and in this case, the protest was entirely legitimate!" HN was known for his quick wit. On one occasion when he was sick, he asked the college authorities to send two boys to help him. On seeing four eager boys at his door instead of two, he is said to have remarked, "I didn't ask for my pall bearers, you know".
HN above all was a communicator,
and it was with children that he was at his best.
Although he had left strict instructions that on no account should a holiday be declared
when he died students and teachers from the
National School and College poured out of their classrooms on hearing of his death
to have a last glimpse of the man who taught them to
Ask the question "Why?-Neelanjan
"
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