AR-2020-21

13 DIRECTOR'S REPORT 33 rd ANNUAL REPORT 2020-21 Since its inception more than three decades ago, one of the main objectives of IUCAA has been to become and remain a Centre of Excellence in research and training within the family of Indian Universities, and to conduct a, internationally reputed vigorous research programme of its own in Astronomy and Astrophysics and related subjects (A&A). IUCAAwas set up to promote nucleation and growth of active groups in A&A in Indian Universities and Colleges, and to function as a field station and resource centre to provide general guidance and help for A&A activities in India and neighbouring countries. IUCAA has always put in the best effort to achieve these objectives, and has maintained the emphasis on fundamental research and innovative teaching in almost all areas of A&A. A new crop of IUCAA Centres for Astronomy Research and Development (ICARDs) have been set up all through the country, to enhance teaching and research in IndianUniversities/ Colleges. Over the last decade, IUCAAhas assumed a leading role in large projects of national importance, including LIGO-India, the Thirty Metre Telescope, and is a significant contributing partner in the Square Kilometre Array and various space projects of ISRO, including AstroSat, and Aditya–L1, whose launch is imminent. TheAstroSat Science Support Cell has been functioning very well with financial support from ISRO, through which members of IUCAA and substantial number of Visiting Associates and their students could collect data and analyse, and publish quite a number of research papers. IUCAA, together with the Savitribai Phule Pune University, is about to start anMSc in Physics withAstrophysics degree course from the coming academic year. During this year, a Precision and Quantum Measurement laboratory has been established in IUCAA, as a part of the DST's nationwide Quantum initiative QUEST, where state-of-the-art experimental facilities based on trapped and laser cooled single ytterbium ion (171Yb+) confined in an electrodynamic trap will be developed. This facility offers to build one of the most sensitive optical atomic clocks at 467 nm wavelength, and will also aid the training of various young researchers for laser-related activities for LIGO-India. IUCAA currently has 27 Core Faculty and Emeritus Professors, 38 Post-Doctoral Fellows, and 60 PhD Scholars. They have collectively published 153 peer-reviewed papers, with a mean impact factor of 5.79. We are very proud of this, since it shows that our colleagues are not just very productive in research of the highest quality, but they are making a substantial impact on the subject at the national and international levels. Even more gratifying is the fact that the 181 VisitingAssociates of IUCAA, who are faculty members at Indian Universities and Colleges, supported in their research by IUCAA, have published 416 peer- reviewed papers during the same period, with a mean impact factor of 4.21. This number has increased over the years, and clearly indicates the impact IUCAA has had in promoting and nurturing A&A research at institutions of higher education all over the country, and has provided facilities and the right atmosphere for nurturing active collaboration betweenmembers of the community of associates and the national and international communities. However, during this year, the Visitor Programmes were cancelled due to the pandemic situation in the country. During this year, three IUCAA students have obtained their PhD degree, which is lower than usual because of the pandemic restrictions. During this year, we welcomed one new member to our Core Faculty, Sowgat Muzahid, who has joined us from Leiden Observatory, Netherlands. He has been an active member of the Multi-Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (MUSE) consortium. His primary focus on research is to understand the role of diffused gas in the formation and evolution of galaxies using ultraviolet/optical spectroscopy. Varun Sahni, one of our most valued senior core faculty members, has superannuated inMarch 2021, and has been offered Emeritus Professorship. With deep sorrow and sadness, I would like to mention the demise of Dr Srikumar Banerjee, who was the Chairman of our Governing Board for two terms, and Professor S.M. Chitre, Professor Arun Nigavekar, and Professor Govind Swarup, who were the mentors and pillars of IUCAAfor a long time. Along with the IUCAA