Biography

Harish Chandra Verma, popularly known as H. C. Verma, is an Indian experimental physicist and a retired professor of Physics at the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur (IITK). H. C. Verma conducted research in the field of nuclear physics. He is well-known for the book authored by him that was published as a two-volume series Concepts of Physics..H. C. Verma was not at all studious when he was in school, and he used to struggle with passing his exams. However, when he was in the tenth standard, his mother was preparing his favorite sweet delicacy on the occasion of Chhath Puja and made a deal with him that for every hour he would spend studying with her, she would give two pieces of that sweet to him. He began reading and soon, he was motivated to study, and later that year, he passed all his subjects. [8]The Better India.After completing his formal schooling, he enrolled at Patna Science College for B.Sc. (Hons.) in Physics where he stood third in the university. Further, he went to the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur to pursue his MSc (Physics) and Ph.D. H. C. Verma in the year 1980.After completing his Ph.D., Verma joined Patna Science College as a lecturer in 1980. It was during his tenure at the college that he decided to simplify the tough methods of Physics and make them more understandable for the students. After 8 years, Verma was able to complete his two-volume book Concepts of Physics. When H. C. Verma was teaching at Patna Science College, he received an amount of Rs 796 as his first salary. H. C. Vermas books.In 1994, Verma joined the IIT Kanpur as an assistant professor where he taught a number of professional and core courses like nuclear physics, quantum mechanics, electrodynamics, review courses for Ph.D. students, etc. His main field of research was experimental nuclear physics.H. C. Verma runs an NGO called Shiksha Sopan with the help of a group of IIT Kanpur faculty members and students. The NGO provides educational help to economically weaker children living near the IIT Kanpur campus. Demo training workshop conducted by NGO Shiksha Sopan and Indian Association of Physics Teachers (IAPT).H. C. Verma is a member of the executive committee of the Indian Association of Physics Teachers (IAPT). With the help of IAPT, Verma initiated a new project called the National Anveshika Network of India (NANI) in 2011. IAPT has opened up several centers in more than 22 cities across India. The initiative has helped more than 1000 schools and colleges by conducting several training activities, teaching aid development classes, etc.H. C. Verma has also developed more than 600 physics experiments that are used by various teachers and professors in their classrooms as demo experiments. Apart from these experiments, he has also developed several informal and open-ended experimental activities that are carried out in the classrooms where the students conceive, assemble, and perform the experiments on their own. H. C. Verma has conducted several workshops for physics school teachers and introduced them to demo-based physics training methods, which help the students to connect science with real life.H. C. Verma has carried out training workshops for more than 8000 teachers and according to the feedback received, more than 1000 teachers have changed their approach towards the subject, and now, they enjoy teaching Physics. From these 1000 teachers, Verma has made an informal group of about 50 teachers called Utsahi Physics Teachers. Every year in the summers, H. C. Verma conducts workshops for these 50 Utsahi teachers, and there are always new additions to the group. These activities are funded by the National Academy of Science India (NASI). H. C. Verma conducting workshop for his Utsahi Physics Teachers group.H. C. Verma received the Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Shiksha Puruskar in 2017 by the Bihar Government. The award was given to him for his contribution to the field of education. [9]The Telegraph Chief Minister of Bihar, Nitish Kumar honoring H. C. Verma with Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Shiksha Puruskar.