National Centre for Radio Astrophysics

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National Centre for Radio Astrophysics Outreach page of the National Centre for Radio Astrophysics, involved in research on Astrophysics

The National Centre for Radio Astrophysics (NCRA) of the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) is a leading centre for research in a wide range of areas of Astronomy and Astrophysics. NCRA also provides exciting opportunities to work in technical aspects relevant to Radio Astronomy such as Analog and Digital Electronics, Signal Processing, Antenna Design, Communication and Software Development. NCRA has built and operates the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT), which is located approximately 80 km north of Pune, India and is the most powerful Radio Telescope operating at low Radio Frequencies. It is a National Facility and is used by the Astronomers across the world, leading to several significant discoveries. NCRA has also built and operates the Ooty Radio Telescope (ORT), which is a large Cylindrical Telescope located near Udhagamandalam, India.

Your next chapter in fundamental research could start here.Applications are now open for TIFR Graduate School GS-2027, t...
24/09/2026

Your next chapter in fundamental research could start here.

Applications are now open for TIFR Graduate School GS-2027, the nationwide entrance examination for PhD and Integrated MSc-PhD programmes at TIFR centres across India.

From understanding living systems to exploring the laws of nature, building intelligent systems and advancing mathematical sciences, GS-2027 offers research opportunities across a wide range of disciplines.

Programmes include:
Biology | Chemistry | Computer Science | Learning, Information & Data Sciences (LIDS) | Mathematics | Physics | Applied Computational Math | Physics of Life | Science Education

📝 Exam on 13 Dec 2026
🗓️ Apply by 25 Oct, 11 PM
Fee Waiver Deadline: Oct 11, 11 PM

Ready to apply?
Scan the QR code or visit: tifr.link/gs-admissions

Explore the programmes, eligibility requirements and FAQs before applying.

Recently, Ph.D. students Jatin Kumar, Saptarshi Sarkar, and Pralay Biswas, along with Prof. Tirthankar Roy Choudhury, ...
20/09/2026

Recently, Ph.D. students Jatin Kumar, Saptarshi Sarkar, and Pralay Biswas, along with Prof. Tirthankar Roy Choudhury, presented their work at Cosmic Connections, an annual cosmology meeting held at The Institute of Mathematical Sciences, Chennai. The meeting focused on the role of artificial intelligence and machine learning across cosmic scales.

Engineers are the backbone of any advanced technological project such as the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT). Nat...
19/09/2026

Engineers are the backbone of any advanced technological project such as the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT). National Engineers' Day, marking the birth anniversary of Sir Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya, was celebrated at GMRT on September 15, honoring the engineers whose work has kept this remarkable instrument operational for more than two decades.

This event featured a talk by Mr. Ashish Ranjan, Scientist-F, HPC Technologies Department, C-DAC, Pune. Mr. Ranjan spoke on the National Supercomputing Mission: its current status and future plans. He leads the design and deployment of HPC systems under the mission, and is working actively on the next generation of supercomputers for India. The talk was followed by an interactive and fruitful discussion session.

What can we learn about the Universe by looking at it in different wavelengths?That was one of the questions we explored...
17/09/2026

What can we learn about the Universe by looking at it in different wavelengths?

That was one of the questions we explored as part of our ongoing astronomy outreach sessions. National Centre for Radio Astrophysics and the SKA India Consortium spent an evening with 400 cadets and instructors of 3 MAH AIR SQN NCC Headquarters on 10 September.

The session brought together a talk, hands-on demonstrations and an open discussion on multiwavelength astronomy. We explored the role of radio telescopes such as the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT) and the Square Kilometre Array Observatory (SKAO) in building a more complete picture of the Universe.

The questions and discussions throughout the session gave the young cadets an opportunity to engage directly with these ideas and explore astronomy beyond the classroom.

Volunteers: Pulak Mohapatra, Jalak Mehta, Esha Sajjanhar, Salmoli Ghosh, Hardik Medhi, Varun Bhat

SKA Observatory ASI POEC

A two-week course on Statistical Techniques in Astronomy was recently conducted at Inter-University Centre for Astronomy...
15/09/2026

A two-week course on Statistical Techniques in Astronomy was recently conducted at Inter-University Centre for Astronomy & Astrophysics. The program featured lectures ranging from the theoretical formalism of statistical methods to their specific applications in astronomy. Prof. Yogesh Wadadekar, a faculty member at National Centre for Radio Astrophysics, delivered a set of five lectures as one of the course instructors.

The lectures were followed by tutorial sessions organized by research scholars and postdoctoral fellows. The course concluded with participant-led discussions on applications of statistics in their respective research areas.

Research scholars Jatin Kumar and Saptarshi Sarkar from NCRA, conducted one of the tutorial sessions, while Hardik Medhi and Pulak Mohapatra presented their work during the participant-led discussion sessions.

Image credits: IUCAA, Hardik Medhi

Remembering Prof. Govind Swarup (1929 - 2020), the pioneer of Indian radio astronomy whose visionary engineering redefin...
07/09/2026

Remembering Prof. Govind Swarup (1929 - 2020), the pioneer of Indian radio astronomy whose visionary engineering redefined how we look at the universe.

Returning to India at Dr. Homi Bhabha’s invitation, he spent six decades proving that world-class science doesn't require exorbitant budgets - it requires bold imagination and brilliant engineering.

His crowning achievements - the Ooty Radio Telescope (ORT) and the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT) - stand as triumphs of frugal innovation. By aligning the ORT along a natural 11° slope in the Nilgiri Hills, he created an equatorially mounted 530m parabolic cylinder at a fraction of standard construction costs. Years later, he pushed boundaries even further with GMRT's "SMART" mesh design, creating a sprawling, high-resolution array of thirty 45-meter dishes that remains one of the most versatile low-frequency observatories on the planet.

Prof. Swarup didn't just build instruments; he built institutions, mentored generations of researchers, and demonstrated the power of indigenous scientific innovation. His monumental contributions to our understanding of the universe remain an enduring pride of Indian science.

RAWS-2026: 19th Radio Astronomy Winter SchoolNational Centre for Radio Astrophysics and Inter-University Centre for Astr...
03/09/2026

RAWS-2026: 19th Radio Astronomy Winter School

National Centre for Radio Astrophysics and Inter-University Centre for Astronomy & Astrophysics jointly announce the 19th Radio Astronomy Winter School (RAWS-2026), to be held from 14–24 December 2026 at the IUCAA and NCRA-TIFR campuses in Pune. This program is open to educators and UG students.

Last date to apply: 22 September 2026

Educators registration link: https://bit.ly/raws2026educators
Students' registration link: https://raws.iucaa.in/RAWS2026

Click here for more information: https://raws.iucaa.in/RAWS2026/welcome.jsp
For any queries, reach out to us: [email protected]

🌟 Celebrating Young Scientists at NCRA–TIFR! 🌟We are delighted to celebrate Ankita Ghosh and Jyotirmoy Das on receiving ...
28/08/2026

🌟 Celebrating Young Scientists at NCRA–TIFR! 🌟

We are delighted to celebrate Ankita Ghosh and Jyotirmoy Das on receiving the Young Scientist Award at the URSI General Assembly & Scientific Symposium 2026. 🏆✨

Their achievements highlight the remarkable science being carried out with the uGMRT and the dedication of young researchers pushing the boundaries of astrophysics. 🚀

Congratulations, Ankita and Jyotirmoy! 🎉
Wishing you both many more discoveries and milestones ahead! 🌟

Space exploration doesn't always mean going into space. Some of our most powerful tools for studying the Universe are ri...
28/08/2026

Space exploration doesn't always mean going into space. Some of our most powerful tools for studying the Universe are right here on Earth!📡

At Space Axpo 2026, the National Centre for Radio Astrophysics and the SKA India Consortium brought radio astronomy to students and visitors as part of the National Space Day celebrations at MIT World Peace University.

With displays of the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT) and the SKA Telescopes, we spoke about how radio telescopes work, the science they enable, and why building such powerful facilities matters.

Prof. Yogesh Wadadekar's talk, "Radio Astronomy and the Search for Life on Other Worlds," took the conversation further, exploring some of the biggest questions we have about the Universe.

contingent at the General Assembly and Scientific Symposium 2026, taking place in Kraków, Poland, the flagship scien...
27/08/2026

contingent at the General Assembly and Scientific Symposium 2026, taking place in Kraków, Poland, the flagship scientific event of the International Union of Radio Science.

Prof. Yashwant Gupta presented Observatory updates from NCRA and was also appointed Chair of Commission J (Radio Astronomy) at USNC-URSI, a proud recognition of his contributions to radio astronomy!

Prof. Yogesh Maan presented his work on “GBPREP: A solution to archive petabytes of beamformer data and facilitate science-ready products.”

NCRA PhD Students, Yash Bhusare, Ankita Ghosh, Jyotirmoy Das, and Banshi Lal, actively contributed to the conference by presenting their latest research and engaged with the wider radio science community.

Address

National Centre For Radio Asrophysics/Tata Institute Of Fundamental Research, Pune University Campus, Ganeshkhind
Pune
411007

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 6pm
Tuesday 9am - 6pm
Wednesday 9am - 6pm
Thursday 9am - 6pm
Friday 9am - 6pm

Telephone

+912025719000

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