New Delhi: Prashant Chandra Mahalabonis, who was awarded the Padma Bhushan for revolutionising population studies, has been honoured in Friday’s Google Doodle on the occasion of his 125th birth anniversary. The Google Doodle has been created by Nishant Choksi.
From a scientist to being a member of the First Planning Commission of India, Mahalabonis donned many hats. The statistician and scientist was the brain behind Mahalanobis Distance, a measurement used in population studies.
Mahalanobis, who was also the mind behind the foundation of Indian Statistical Institute, was born in West Bengal. Having graduated from Brahmo Boys School, his interests took him to subjects like Anthropology, Physics and Economics.
After receiving his Bachelors of Science degree with Honours in Physics in 1912, he left for England and studied at the King’s College at Cambridge in 1913.
It was during his time at Cambridge that he interacted with mathematical genius Srinivas Ramanajun. With every milestone, he revolutionised population studies, crop yields and large scale sample survey.
Just a day before his 79th birthday, he bid the world adieu on June 28, 1972.
The accolades kept pouring in even after his demise. Since 2007, June 29 has been commemorated as World Statics Day to acknowledge Mahalabonis’ pioneering contribution in the field of Statistics and Economics.
This year the theme for the Statics Day is ‘Industrial Statistics’. Organised by the Directorate of Economics and Statistics, a day long ceremony will be held in Delhi where seminars and discussions are organised on his birth anniversary.
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