T. C. Rao

Prof T C Rao with Prof A J Lynch

Prof. T.C. Rao with Dr. B.A. Wills Editor in Chief of Minerals Engineering during XXVI International Mineral Processing Congress held in New Delhi, India, in 2012.

Tadimety Chakrapani Rao (18 September 1940 – 5 September 2023), also known as T.C. Rao, is an Indian mineral processing scientist and researcher.

Education

In 1959, Rao received a Bachelor of Science with honours in geology from Andhra University in Waltair, India, with a Masters in Science in ore dressing from the university in 1960. This course in ore dressing began at Andhra University under the guidance of Professor Calamur Mahadevan in 1954, and at that time was the only course in mineral processing in India.[1] In 1965, under the guidance of Professors Frank T. M. White and Alban J. Lynch,[2] Rao completed a postdoctorate in mineral engineering from the University of Queensland, Australia.

Career

From 1967 to 1977, Rao was a lecturer and then assistant professor at the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur.[3] From 1977 to 1989 he was initially head of the fuel and mineral engineering department and was then appointed Dean of Research and Development at Indian School of Mines, Dhanbad.[4] From 1989 to 2000, he was director of the Advanced Minerals and Process Research Institute.[5]

He is a member of the general council of the Indian Institute of Technology (Indian School of Mines), Dhanbad.[6]

He is a Council Member of the Indian Institute of Metals and the Mining, Geological and Metallurgical Institute of India. He is an Executive Council Member of Indian Institute of Mineral Engineering.[7] He was honoured as a fellow of Indian National Academy of Engineers in Coal and Mineral Processing Specialization.[8]

Honours and awards

• National Mineral Award Govt. of India, 1978
• Indranil Award, Mining Geological & Metallurgical Institute of India (MGMI), 1983
• National Metallurgist's Day Award, Govt. of India in 1985,[9] for the work carried out in coal washeries, industrial hydrocyclones and comminution circuits.
• Pandit Lajja Shankar Jha, Award, Govt. of Madhya Pradesh, 1990
• Mining Engineering Design Award, The Institution of Engineers (I), 1987
• IIME (Indian Institute of Mineral Engineers) Coal Beneficiation Award, 1998.[10]
• Distinguished Scientist Award, Madhya Pradesh Council of Science and Technology, 2000.
• Basant Samman Award, 2007 .[11]
• Coal Preparation Innovation Award, Coal Preparation Society of India - 2013
• Australian Alumni Award-2015, for Outstanding Achievement in Science &Technology by Australian Alumni Association –India- 2015.
• At the XVII International Seminar on Mineral Processing Technology (MPT-2018) on 10 October 2018, Prof. Rao was conferred the honour of "Father of (Indian) Mineral Engineering". The citation read "In recognition and appreciation of immense contributions to the mineral and coal processing education, research and industry in an illustrious career... ".[12]

References

1. Mineral Engineering in India - Reflections by Arun Kumar Biswas, Indian Institute of Mineral Engineers, 2012
2. In conversation with T.C. Rao, the "father of Indian minerals processing". MEI Blog. Wednesday 16 July 2014. http://min-eng.blogspot.com/2014/07/in-conversation-with-tc-rao-father-of.html Accessed 17 December 2018.
3. IIT Kanupur, India. List of retired faculty
4. AK Ghose, LK Bose (eds). Mining in the 21st Century: Quo Vadis?, Volume 1. 19th World Mining Congress, New Delhi. AK BALKEMA PUBLISHERS. ISBN 90 5809 273 9. 2003.
5. "Former Directors". Advanced Materials and Processes Research Institute (AMPRI), Bhopal. Retrieved 11 September 2017.
6. "Members of IIT (ISM) General Council". Indian Institute Of Technology (Indian School Of Mines), Dhanbad. Archived from the original on 11 September 2017. Retrieved 11 September 2017.
7. "Executive Council". IIME India, Mineral Technology. Retrieved 11 September 2017.
8. "INAE | Fellowship Sections 1". www.inae.in. Archived from the original on 27 January 2013. Retrieved 22 May 2022.
9. "National Metallurgist's Day Award, 1985" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 9 September 2013. Retrieved 28 July 2013.
10. "IIME India, Mineral Technology". www.iimeindia.com.
11. "Basant Samman Award". Archived from the original on 4 October 2013. Retrieved 26 July 2013.
12. MEI Blog. Wednesday 17 October 2018. http://min-eng.blogspot.com/2018/10/its-official-prof-tc-rao-is-father-of.html Accessed 17 December 2018.