V.D. Mehta

From Bharatpedia, an open encyclopedia
Revision as of 12:56, 16 December 2024 by Kapsol (talk | contribs)
V.D. Mehta
V.D.-Mehta.jpg
Born11 October 1938
Khanpur, Rahim Yar Khan District, Punjab (Undivided India)
Died10 August 2010
Rajpura, Patiala District, Punjab India
Other namesVasdev Mehta
CitizenshipIndia
Alma materInstitute of Chemical Technology
Scientific career
FieldsChemical Engineering
WebsiteOfficial Website

V.D. Mehta (born October 11, 1938 in Khanpur, Rahim Yar Khan District, Bahawalpur Division of Punjab (Undivided India) was an Indian chemical engineer. He was educated at Rajpura[1], Ambala, and UDCT Mumbai. He was part of Man Mohan Sharma research team at UDCT till 1970. The first paper in an international journal published by Man Mohan Sharma's research team at UDCT was based on V. D. Mehta’s Master’s thesis of 1966[2]. Upon completion of his PhD in 1970, he made significant contributions in chemical industry in India.

Education

V.D. Mehta obtained Bachelor of Chemical Engineering (1964) from University Department of Chemical Technology (UDCT) Bomaby University and subsequently MSc (Tech) in 1966 from the same. Soon after his MSc Tech he joined Nirlon Synthetic Fibres & Chemicals Ltd, Bombay as Assistant Chemical Engineer but soon returned back to research to obtain PhD (Chemical Engineering) (1970) at University of Bombay Department of Chemical Technology UDCT with Man Mohan Sharma.

Career

In his short research career between 1966 and 1970, Mehta authored four seminal papers[3] in chemical engineering. Following his doctoral research career, he chose not to remain concerned only with the pursuit of research, education, and scholarship and spend his working life in academia but left academia to be a researcher at the helm of affairs in the chemical industry thus bridging research-industry divide. He served chemical industry where he held senior positions[4].For his expertise, he was known as fibre man [5]. Perhaps, he is the earliest Indian example of a PhD Tech with publications in reputed international journals who took up a full-time career in industry and became an entrepreneur.

M.M. Sharma, V.D.Mehta and R.A. Mashelkar

M.M. Sharma, V.D.Mehta and R.A. Mashelkar were contemporary Indian Chemical Engineers closely associated with Bombay University’s Department of Chemical Technology (UDCT) now called Institute of Chemical Technology (ICT).

Man Mohan Sharma (born 1 May 1937) obtained Bachelor of Chemical Engineering in 1958 from UDCT (ICT) and subsequently MSc (Tech.) in 1960. He obtained Ph.D. (Chemical Engineering) in 1964 from University of Cambridge. In 1964, he returned to India as Professor of Chemical Engineering at the University of Bombay (Source: ICT).

V.D Mehta (born 11 October 1938) was both contemporary junior and student of MM Sharma at UDCT. V.D. Mehta obtained Bachelor of Chemical Engineering (1964) from UDCT (ICT) and subsequently MSc (Tech.) in 1966. The first paper in an international journal published by Man Mohan Sharma's research team at UDCT was based on V. D. Mehta’s Master’s thesis of 1966. Between 1966 –68, V.D. Mehta went for industry experience as Assistant Chemical Engineer in Nirlon Synthetic Fibres & Chemicals Ltd, Bombay, returning to UDCT in 1968 as doctoral research scholar. He obtained Ph.D. (Chemical Engineering) in just two years in 1970 with MM Sharma as his advisor.

R.A. Mashelkar (born 1 January 1943) obtained Bachelor of Chemical Engineering in 1966 and a PhD in 1969 from the University Department of Chemical Technology UDCT under MM Sharma.

Together, M.M. Sharma, R.A. Mashelkar and V.D.Mehta authored a research paper, titled ‘Mass Transfer in Plate Columns’ that was published in British Chemical Engineering journal in 1969. However, strangely, the official website of R.A. Mashelkar and Publication of Fellows page of Indian Academy of Sciences does not seem to support the last authorship of V.D. Mehta.

R.A. Mashelkar and V.D. Mehta: The Controversy over Authorship of 1969 Paper

Publication of Fellows page of Indian Academy of Sciences [6] as well as R.A. Mashelkar website [7] show R.A. Mashelkar as the last author of ‘Mass Transfer in Plate Columns’ published in 1969 in British Chemical Engineering. The name of V.D. Mehta seems to be deleted as an author. However, the achieved copy of the original journal [8] shows V.D. Mehta as the last author [9] of this paper.

Further reading

Yadav, Ganapati D. (May 2007). "Man Mohan Sharma: A Dnyanayogi and Karmayogi, a Knowledge and Action Seeker Par Excellence". Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research. 46 (10): 2911–2916. doi:10.1021/ie078002g. Retrieved 24 August 2022.

References

  1. ↑ Dr VD MEHTA PhD Tech Retrieved 2022-08-24
  2. ↑ Man Mohan Sharma:  A Dnyanayogi and Karmayogi, a Knowledge and Action Seeker Par Excellence ACS Publications. Publication Date:May 2, 2007. Retrieved 2022-08-24
  3. ↑ V.D. Mehta ResearchGate. Retrieved 2022-08-24
  4. ↑ VD Mehta Retrieved 2022-08-24
  5. ↑ VD Mehta: The Story of ‘’Synthetic Fibre Man’’ of India The India Review. Published 3 October 2018. Retrieved 2022-08-24
  6. ↑ Mass transfer in plate columns Indian Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 2023-07-11
  7. ↑ Research Papers R.A. Mashelkar. Retrieved 2023-07-11
  8. ↑ British Chemical Engineering 1969-01: Vol 14 Iss 1 . Archive.org Retrieved 2023-07-11
  9. ↑ Mass transfer in plate columns HAL Open Science. Retrieved 2023-07-11

External links

Retrieved from "https://en.bharatpedia.org/w/index.php?title=V.D._Mehta&oldid=458170"