SIR: Bharat Ratna Prof. C.N.R. Rao served notice over name mismatch 

Professor C.N.R. Rao, one of the country’s most celebrated and respected scientists, who was born in Basavanagudi in Bengaluru and has contributed immensely to the city in the field of science, has now been asked to appear for a hearing to establish his identity, after his name was flagged for a spelling mismatch during the SIR of electoral rolls.

The 92-year-old scientist is a Bharat Ratna awardee, the country’s highest civilian honour, and the third scientist to be conferred with the award. 

‘Self name mismatch’

Prof. Rao has been issued a notice with the reason listed as “self-name mismatch”, with the older rolls mentioning him as Prof. C.N.R. Rao, while the current rolls record an extra “f” in “Prof.”, mentioning him as “Proff. C.N.R. Rao.”

“Self-mismatch” refers to a logical discrepancy when an elector who is also present in the 2002 electoral roll uses their own details from the 2002 roll while filling out the SIR enumeration form, but the details in the 2002 roll and the current electoral roll do not match.

With only the person against whom a notice has been issued being allowed to appear for the hearing, Prof. Rao has been called for a hearing, scheduled in Malleshwaram near the Indian Institute of Science (IISc).

However, his acquaintances were not aware of the notice until The Hindu contacted them. They informed further that Prof. Rao is not keeping well. His acquaintances at Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR) told The Hindu that he scarcely uses a phone, rarely makes calls and never checks his email himself, as he finds phones and computers distracting.

Known for his work in solid-state and structural chemistry, Prof. Rao is regarded as a scientist who has won almost every major award possible in his field, barring the Nobel Prize.

Key positions

Prof. Rao has been a key figure in formulating the country’s science policies and was also a member of the Scientific Advisory Council to Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. Subsequently, he headed the Scientific Advisory Councils to four Prime Ministers — Rajiv Gandhi, H.D. Deve Gowda, I.K. Gujral and Manmohan Singh. 

He has made immense contributions to science worldwide and, specifically, to Bengaluru, from heading the prestigious IISc to founding the renowned JNCASR in Jakkur, where he served as its founding president. He has also received several major honours, including the country’s prestigious Padma Vibhushan, Padma Shri and Karnataka Ratna, besides several other awards.