Shambhu Dayal Sinvhal

Shambhu Dayal Sinvhal (20 November 1923 - 27 May 2015) was an Indian mathematician, astronomist and a former vice chancellor of Kumaon University.[1] Born on 20 November 1923 at Indore in the largest Indian state of Madhya Pradesh to B. D. Sinvhal and Tara Devi, he started his career as a member of the faculty of the department of mathematics and astronomy at Lucknow University in 1946 where he worked till 1954.[1] During this period, he secured a doctoral degree (PhD) in mathematics from Lucknow in 1951.[1] In 1954, he resigned from the university to take up the post of an assistant astronomer at Uttar Pradesh State Observatory and became its director[2] in 1960, a post he held till his superannuation 1978.[1] He also worked as a professor at the University of Rourkee at the department of Earth Sciences.[3] In 1978, he was appointed as the vice chancellor of Kumaon University.[1]

Sinvhal was the president of Bharat Ganita Parishad[1] and a member of International Astronomical Union, London.[4] He served Astronomical Society of India as a member of its executive council (1973–74), as its vice president (1975–76), as its president (1977-79) and was its life member.[1][5] He was a life member of the National Academy of Sciences, India[3] and a member of the American Mathematical Society.[6] He chaired the Uttar Pradesh Higher Education Service Commission set up by the state government[2] and held memberships in the Instruments Society of India and the Optical Society of India.[1] He was a fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society, London.[1] The Government of India awarded him the fourth highest Indian civilian award of Padma Shri in 1975.[7]