Apurba Jha Bansal, Dr. Aparna Jha Ahuja, Rajesh Jha (IIT Delhi Alumni – B. Tech Mechanical, 1982) and Rakesh Jha (IIT Delhi Alumni – B.Tech. Manufacturing, 1994) A chair to assist in research and training in chemistry. In honor of their father, Professor NK Jha, a former member of the Faculty of Chemistry, IIT Delhi.
Professor NK Jha was one of the earliest members of the Department of Chemistry who started as a Lecturer in 1965 and retired as Professor in 1997 and served as Head of the Department and Chairman of the Departmental Research Committee. Professor Jha is best known for his work on the discovery of hitherto unknown Nobel gas compounds, which he did a PhD with Neil Bartlett at the University of British Columbia.
At IIT Delhi, he continued research in inorganic chemistry and supervised many post-doctoral fellows, more than 20 PhD students and numerous postgraduate students. He has also made significant contributions to the Institute community, serving as President, Student Welfare Board, Housemaster and Secretary of the Staff Welfare Scheme.
Teaching and pedagogy were important to Professor Jha, and he was actively involved in contributing textbooks through curriculum development, curriculum development, numerous NCERTs, UGCs, and participation in university committees and workshops.
The Department of Chemistry at IIT Delhi is one of the top chemistry departments in the country. One of the main objectives of the department is to create quality human resources at different levels. In addition to the PhD program, the department offers two-year programs leading to MSc and MTech degrees. Two hundred odd researchers studied all the major fields of chemistry and allied sciences. The department provides a vibrant environment for students and teachers to nurture a spirit of scientific inquiry and to conduct cutting-edge research in a highly encouraging environment.
Professor Jha’s daughter Apurba Jha Bansal holds a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Delhi University and an MBA from the University of Southern California. He has worked in a variety of domains, including airlines, advertising, film and finance.
Aparna Jha Ahuja has done her MBBS, MD from Delhi University and has held various roles in clinical practice, research and academia. He was Becton Dickinson’s global vice president of medical and is now the chief medical officer of T2 Biosystem, USA.
IIT Delhi alumnus Rajesh Jha from Institute B. After graduating, he worked as a research engineer at McMaster University in Canada. For more than 30 years he has been involved in software development for the Canadian defense industry, including the last 10 years as director of engineering.
Rakesh Jha (B.Tech, Manufacturing, 1994, IIT Delhi) completed his MBA from IIM Lucknow and has been at ICICI Bank ever since, where he is currently Group CFO.