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6. Eminent Indian Statisticians, , 1. P.C. Mahalnobis (1893 - 1972) : Prashanta Chandra Mahalnobis was, born in 1893 in Kolkata in a learned family. His father was an active member of, Brahmo Samaj and his mother belonged to a well educated family. P.C., Mahalnobis received his school education in a Brahmo Boys School in Kolkata, and college education in Presidency College Kolkata from where he received, Bachelor of Science degree in Physics. He then went to England and studied, Mathematics and Physics in King’s College, Cambridge. It is interesting to note, , that Mahalnobis’ interest in Statistics was just a fluke. When Mahalnobis was, , looking around the library at King’s College, Cambridge he was approached by, a fellow for his opinion on some volumes of Biometrica edited by a renowned, Statistician Karl Pearson. When he read these volumes he realised that this is, the subject in which he has inborn interest. This was the beginning of a, wonderful carrier in Statistics. :, , Mahalnobis came to India thereafter for.a short vacation but could not go, back to England. He was offered a position in Presidency College to teach, , 1, '

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caching Physics till 1948 but dey, , Oted, , ne accepted. He was t', dies in Statistics., Mahalnobis founded the new prestigious, , institute - The Indian Institute of Statistics in, started in a room of the laboratory, , 1931. It was >, rtment of Physics of Presidency, , of the depa \, tarted a new journal, , College, Kolkata. Healsos, now brought out by, , called Sankhya which is out,, 1.S.I. He also established within I.S.I. a division, called the National Sample Survey in 1950. This, , division grew enormously in a very short period, because of its research in social and economic, areas covering the whole of India. This, division viz. N.S.S. and Mahalnobis played, pivotal role in Five Year Plans. The Government, of India took over N.S.S. and now, it functions PCD :, as a part of Ministry of Planning. Adriane, Mahalnobis’s contribution to Statistics are both rich and numerous. His, work has always found some application. The Mahalnobis distance called, D-statistic is extensively used in classification problems. His work in multivariate, pao aaa and fractile graphic analysis has now become, Hajids iii vaiious xe 1€ odology. He also undertook work on prevention of, BroUehE bin; e10n8 of the country. His work in field experimentation, ght him in contact with the world ren d ate ; her and, led toa close arte fanal aa owned statistician R. A. Fisher an, personal everlasting friendship., , Mahalnobi <, prized award asthe te ee for his work in Statistics. The most, of the highest eivilien bllaweldp of Royal Society, London in 1945 and one, an award in India was the Padma Vibhushan in 1968., , Mahalnobis h, ad :, many interests other than Statistics and Physics which, , were no doubt the, : most f. 4 " ) ;, Philosophy and he i avourite subjects. He enjoyed reading Indian, , had published more t reading Bengali Literature. Professor Mahalnobis, , articals in Bengali and nica, , Physics which I, free time for stu, , , , han, English, espera Papers besides some non-tech, h. He died in 1972 on the eve of his 77th bit!, , 2.C.R. Rao 1, s 9 :, Karnataka, He has sen oF, , hday:, , altaleees npudi Radhakrishna Rao was born in ean, Natics Mi night from his school days and had shov, , Setting first re 8ot his B.A. (Mathematics) in|, , Universi fa Unive “ass and first position. He got his ¥" ", , ersity. Then he went t tsity and another M.A. (Statistics) from Kolkata, , © England for higher stadiseand kot his kb: unde?

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the guidance of Prof. R. A. Fisher. Heal, , u / . SO got D.Sc. fr i iversi, Since 1967 he has received 27 honorary doctorate ine University., and universities in all 5 continents. Seven of Biss amnrtanyyeolleees, these degrees are from Indian Universities, and 4 are from American Universities., , His professional experience extends, over 40 years of which for 20 years he was, with Indian Statistical Institute where he was, National Professor and Director of Research, and Training Schcol. He has taught over 20, years in many renowned tiniversities in U.K., and U.S.A. including tne University of, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania University,, University vf California, and Cambridge, , University. C.R. Rao, , Rao joined American Statistical Association (ASA) in 1970 and was after, two years clected Fellow for his distinguished contribution to Statistics. In, 1970, he received Distinguished Achievement Medal from ASA for his, outstanding work in development of methods, concepts and applications of,, environmental statistics., , C. R. Rao is a member of cight National Academies in India, U.K., U.S.A., and Italy. He has reccived dozens of medals, awards and other honours for his, contribution to Statistics and Science including Nilks Medal of A.S.A. Guy, Medal of Royal Society, Meghanad Sah Medal of Indian National Science, Academy, Mahalnobis Centenary Gold Medal of Indian Science Congress., He was honoured by Government of India by Padma Vibhushan. In 1988 the, Times of India ranked him among the top ten Indian Scientists of modern India., Government of India has also instituted a national award in his honour. There, have been nine special issues of. ‘journals from India, U.K. and U.S.A. celebrating, his life and work. Therc have been six special conferences in his honour., , Rao's contribution to statistical theory and applications are well known, many of his results which bear his name are included in courses of Statistics at, , level all over the world. His research work includes, , bachelor's and master's h, (i) Cramer Rao Inequality, (ii) Rao - Blackwell Theorem, (iii) Rao's U-test,, , (iv) Multivariate analysis etc., , Prof. Rao has served as President of five Statistical Societies : (i) Indian, Economic. Society, (ii) International Biometric Society, (iii) Institute of, Mathematical Statistics, (iv) International Statistical Institute, (v) Forum of, Interdigciplinary Mathematics. Today he is a living legend whose work has., influenced not only research in Statistics but also varied branches of knowledge

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mics, genetics, anthropology, geology, planning, Cemograpiy, such as econo! ?, , icine., Oe fee (1911 - 1997) : The well-known Indian Statistician y,, 3. P. V. Sukhz, , as born in a village named Budh in gay,, Pandurang eee ae = ‘i a very poor and inadequately educated inti, District in He a8 village in 1919 for the education ofhis brilliant son anq Went, Seal ne Sukhatme had a distinguished carrer-as a student and he got hig, ae ‘in Mathematics from Fergusson College, Pune in 1932, He the,, B.Sc. ae bender for higher studics in Statistics. Noting the quality of his, De Semi Theory University of London advised him to submit his, je supers not for M.Sc. but for Ph.D. He was awarded the degree of Php,, a 936 and the degree of D.Sc. in 1939. He had a unique distinction of having, worked under the three giants in Statistics viz. Neyman, Pearson and Fisher., , On this return to India in 1936 P. V. Sukhatme after serving for a short, period in Calcutta got his life time opportunity to serve as Chief Statistical, Advisor to Indian (then Imperial) Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR),, Herc he used his knowledge of Statistics and popularised random sampling, techniques in estimating crops areas and crop-yields. Under his leadership, the, statistical unit of CAR developed into a full-fledged research institute named, Indian Agricultural Statistics Research Institute (IASRI) which a few year back, celebrated its Golden Jubilee. The work of P-V. Sukhatme and other scientists at, IASRu has been one of the major factors in the success of green revolution and, the self sufficiency of food and agricultural products in India., , = In 1951-52 he Was invited as Visiting Proféssor at Department of Statistics, s sort State University U.S.A. During his period at Iowa he published his, ka eet e a textbook on Sample Surveys..The book instantly became, ane has served many Statisticians ie’ ook, , has undergone several editions, ee ane gpa Tse, , caiblighte a tportant contributions of P. V. Sukhatme is the lead he took in, a {ment of Statistics at the Bombay University. Many, ded Statistics of Bombay University have made, artment can be ment, Industry and Business. The remarkable, , Said to be the establishment of the departments, Because of this and his other co, ch as Karnataka, Gujarat, Baroda and Pune., considered, along with PC Mtributions to the subject P. V, Sukhatme is, , Statistics, ahalnobis, the founder of the Indian School ©

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‘S, , hn as economics, genetics, anthropology, geology, planning, demogrs :, suc. p ly, , : d medicine., ae Sukhatme (1911 - 1997): The well-known Indian Statistici,, 3. " vas dev Sukhatme was born in a village named Budh ie . Ir,, Pandura 5 ilies in 1911 ina very poor and inadequately educateq ys ata, nae on eft the village in 1919 for the education ofhis brilliant so,, ~ a Vv, Sukhatme had a distinguished carrer-as a student and he got i, eee Mathematics from Fergusson College, Pune in 1932. Het is, roceeded to London for higher studies in Statistics. Noting the qualit, an in Sampling Theory University of London advised him to sy, research papers not for M.Sc. but for Ph.D. He was awarded the degree of Php,, in 1936 and the degree of D.Sc. in 1939. He had a unique distinction of havin, worked under the three giants in Statistics viz. Neyman, Pearson and Fisher., , On this return to India in 1936 P. V. Sukhatme after serving for a short, period in Calcutta got his life time opportunity to serve as Chief Statistical, Advisor to Indian (then Imperial) Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR),, Here he used his knowledge of Statistics and popularised random sampling, techniques in cstimating crops areas and crop-yields. Under his leadership, the, statistical unit of ICAR developed into a full-fledged research institute named, Indian Agricultural Statistics Research Institute (ASRI) which a few year back, celebrated its Golden Jubilee. The work of P, V. Sukhatme and other scientists at, IASRYhas been one of the major factors in the success of green revolution and, the self sufficiency of food and agricultural products in India., , In 1951 - 52 he was invited as Visiting Proféssor at Department of Statistics, at Iowa State University U.S.A. During his period at Iowa he published his, work on sampling as a textbook on Sample Surveys..The book instantly became, , very popular and has served many Statisticians in many countries. The book, has undergone several editions. ,, , i, N and y, y, , en, Y Of his, bmit his, , One of the important contributions of P. V. Sukhatme is the lead he took in, , establishing the Department of Statistics at the Bombay University. Many, students of the department of Statistics of Bombay University have made, significant contribution to Gov, , ernment, Industry and Business. The remarkable, , + C.Mahal i i School 0, Statistics. nobis, the founder of the Indian, , Because of his work at ICAR in India P. V. Sukhatme was invited to join, Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) of united Nations as its Chief, Statistical Advisor where he worked for 18 years. In. this capacity he help, many developing countries to collect basic statistical data related to agricultur’, , we, , i