AASP Primary Records Program

PALYNOS 18(1): p. 4, 1995.

The science of Palaeopalynology suffered a great loss in the death of Dr. D. C. Bharadwaj following a brief illness at Lucknow. Dr. Bharadwaj was born on December 13, 1923 at Biswan, a small city in Sitapur District of Uttar Pradesh in India. A bryologist by training and a palynologist by profession, he achieved international recognition for his innovative contributions in bryophytes as well as palynology.

Dr. Bharadwaj received a PhD in Botany (Biyophyta) in 1952 under the direction of the late Professor S. K. Pandey at Lucknow University. In 1953 he was awarded the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) Fellowship to work with Professor Robert Potonie of the Geological Survey in Krefeld, Germany, where he studied fossil palynology. He received the Degree of Dr. rer. nat. in 1955 from Bonn University. Upon his return to India Dr. Bharadwaj established the school of Gondwana Palynology for the study of coal palynology, which was later expanded to encompass work on the palynology of Tertiary ligmtes and biopetrology of the Gondwaiia Sequence.

At the Birbal Sahni Institute Dr. Bharadwaj rose from the rank of Scientific Officer in 1949 to Deputy Director in 1977-81. He was a pioneer in systematically describing the Saar palynoflora from Europe and the Raniganj assemblage from India. His style of describing the fossil spores and pollen and explaining their organization and reconstruction as well as his interpretation of observations by L-O analysis were original and well received by other palynologists.

During his 35-year career, Dr. Bharadwaj advised 18 PhD students. His studies ranged from the Carboniferous to the Tertiary in India, Europe, China, South America, North America and Spitsbergen. He wrote on the topics of species delimitation, correlation of coal seams, palynology -based Gondwana reconstruction studies, classification, morphotaxonomy and evolutionary trends. Pursuing his original interests, he established a new extant genus of bryophyte, Foleoceros, under Anthocerotales in 1971. During this time, Dr. Bharadwaj also established the standard palynological sequences in the coal-bearing strata of the Damodar, Satpura and Son-Mahanadi Valley basins.

Dr. Bharadwaj held editorial positions with The Palaeobotanist, Geophytology, Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology, CIMP Monographs, Biological Memoirs, Proceedings of the IV International Palynological Conference, Palaeobotany and Cryptogamic Botany as well as several other publications.

He was active in several academic organizations, both national and international, including the International Subcornmi ssion on Carboniferous Stratigraphy (TUGS); the International Commission on Paleozoic Microfossils (Secretary); the International Society of Palynologists, the International Commission of Palynologists (vice president); the Scientific Society of IGCP (UNESCO, JUGS); and the Palaeobotanical Society (secretary). in addition to his scientific achievements, Dr. Bharadwaj was an original thinker in other areas. Twenty-five years ago he advocated, among other things, issuing identity cards to all citizens of India, establishing very small hydro-power dams for producing electricity for the Tahsil level, writing Hindi in Roman script and the broad introduction of computers in India.

Those who knew Dr. Bharadwaj, either personally or through his writing, will be at a loss at his demise. His sense of humor, his 'forgive and forget' attitude, crisp and clear decisions, adaptability to any situation, in depth analysis of a problem, insight into scientific matters and his pleasant and affectionate relationships with his colleagues and students will ever be remembered.

R. S. Tiwari, Director
Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeobotany, Lucknow, India