Celebrated climate scientist and former Indian Institute of Science (IISc) professor Sulochana Gadgil died at the age of 81, leaving behind more than five decades of history-making research on the Indian monsoon. Her path-breaking work greatly contributed to the knowledge of monsoon variability and physics, and she was much admired by the scientific community.
Gadgil, born and brought up in Pune, attributed her upbringing to her parents, who encouraged all four daughters to study. Her interest in mathematics began early and saw her go on to gain a master’s in applied mathematics from Pune University.
She was then fascinated by the monsoon dynamics and dedicated her professional life to understanding the processes causing its variability. With a mixture of traditional data, satellite data, and sophisticated models, she investigated the explanations for principal monsoon events.
Following her doctoral studies at Harvard and post-doctoral research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Gadgil came to IISc in 1973. She was instrumental in establishing its Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences department in Bengaluru, a remarkable achievement while it was still unusual for women to be in charge of scientific research.
In her essay ‘My Tryst with the Monsoon’, Gadgil remembered a humorous anecdote about her husband and co-worker, ecologist Madhav Gadgil, stating, “Madhav, the student classmate whom I later married, contends that I attracted his notice by leaping out of an upstairs French window of a lecture room to get away from a dull class!” She frequently spoke of him as being a significant professional influence.
Aside from scholarly research, Sulochana Gadgil came up with methods to implement climate information into farming practices and investigated ecological and evolutionary modelling. Her capacity to integrate scientific theory with practical application earned her stature among farmers and policymakers alike.
Tributes flowed in after her death on Thursday. Congress leader Jairam Ramesh described her as ‘one of India’s best climate scientists’. He further said, “Her work during nearly five decades significantly enriched our knowledge about the Indian monsoon…Her skill in explaining scientific research to the general public was exceptional. She was a brilliant personality in her own right.”
He also complimented the couple, Sulochana and Madhav Gadgil, as “a powerful couple who individually and collectively mentored, guided, and inspired many.”
India Meteorological Department scientist DS Pai appreciated her skill, saying, “She did field experiments pertaining to agriculture. Young or old, whoever spoke to her about the monsoon, she would describe it very enthusiastically.”
Former secretary of the Earth Sciences Ministry, M Rajeevan, also posted a moving tribute, terming her a ‘true inspiration to generations of young scientists’. He said, “Her unshakeable dedication to research ethics, justice and equality made her stand out as both a scholar and human being.”
Recalling their professional interactions, he further stated, “We were fortunate to have worked together on a number of landmark research papers on monsoon variability and predictability, endeavors that are etched so deeply in my heart.”
