Prof. C. Karunakaran Memorial / Endowment Lecture Series

Prof. C. Karunakaran (1917-1999) was an eminent geologist, brilliant academician and a great visionary whose contributions to Earth Science will be cherished forever. Cheruvari Karunakaran was born on May, 1917 at Thalasseri, Kannur District, Kerala. After obtaining a Masters Degree in Geology from Banaras Hindu University, he began his career as a Geologist in the Mineral Survey Department of Uttar Pradesh and later served as a lecturer in the Presidency College, Madras and in the Department of Geology, Andhra University, Waltair. He had a long and illustrious career in the Geological Survey of India (GSI). After nearly three decades of meritorious service in GSI, he contributed immensely to Earth Sciences in India, which was well recognized by his appointment as the Director General of GSI in 1974. Prof. Karunakaran led the first scientific expedition to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in 1968 and was also the architect behind the Indian expedition to Antarctica. Upon his retirement from GSI, he led the ONGC operations in the Central Region and later became a member of the Kerala State Planning Board. During this period, he gave shape to the Centre for Earth Science Studies (CESS) in 1978 and became its founder Director, which later became the National Centre for Earth Science Studies (NCESS). NCESS was the fulfilment of the dream of this great visionary to establish a unique institution that will study the Earth in its totality. As a befitting tribute to his contributions, the NCESS has instituted the Professor C. Karunakaran Endowment / Memorial Lecture, delivered by eminent scientists in Earth and related sciences every year to benefit the scientific community.