National Centre for Radio Astrophysics

NCRA postdocs Ayan Biswas and Ksh*tij Bane recently served as expert judges at the 53rd Rajya Stariya Bal Vaigyanik Pradarshani in Pune!

Under the theme “STEM for Viksit & Atmanirbhar Bharat,” over 500 enthusiastic students from across India showcased innovative projects on green energy, sustainable agriculture, and more. Our team was thrilled to interact with these bright minds and provide valuable feedback to help guide the next generation of scientists.

Are you excited about radio astronomy, RF systems, or instrumentation? Well this is your chance to step inside the engineering that powers real telescopes!

The GMRT Radio Physics Lab (RPL) is hosting its Summer School on Radio Astronomical Engineering from June 15–19, 2026, at the GMRT campus in Khodad, Pune.

This isn’t just another lecture series - it’s built to take you beyond theory and into real systems! You’ll get hands-on exposure to radio telescope technology, signal processing, and astronomical instrumentation, while working through the kinds of challenges these systems face in practice.

Who can apply:
• 3rd & final year B.Tech students (ECE, E&TC, E&I)
• 1st year M.Tech students (ECE, E&TC, E&I)

How to apply:
Apply here: https://conf1.ncra.tifr.res.in/event/15/overview

Or scan the QR code!

A reference letter from your supervisor must be sent to: [email protected]

Selected candidates will receive accommodation and meals at the GMRT campus.

Key dates:
• Apply by: April 10, 2026
• Results: April 15, 2026

Where:
GMRT, Khodad, Pune
09:30 (June 15) – 18:00 (June 19) IST

If you’ve been wanting to understand how radio astronomy actually works on the ground - not just in textbooks - this is a rare opportunity to learn, build, and experiment at one of the world’s leading facilities!

As part of our continued efforts in science outreach, a team of researchers and engineers visited Chhatrapati Shahuji Maharaj English Medium School (CSMEMS) in Pune. The enthusiastic audience consisted of 8th-grade students, along with their teachers and parents.

The outreach event was coordinated by Banshi Lal, Yash Bhusare, Hardik Medhi, Ksh*tij Bane, and Jyotirmoy Das from NCRA, alongside Shriram Ramane from the GMRT. During the visit, Hardik Medhi delivered a plenary talk titled "Seeing the Unseen Universe," discussing how we observe the universe across different wavelengths of light.

This was followed by a beautiful stargazing session where the students were shown astronomical objects, such as our Moon, as well as Jupiter and its moons, through telescopes. The curiosity of the students knew no bounds, as many of them eagerly engaged with our team and asked a diverse set of questions.

Ph.D. students Anirban Chakraborty, Jatin Kumar, Pralay Biswas, and Saptarshi Sarkar, along with project students Subhankar Datta and Vaidik Prasal, presented their research work at Pune-Mumbai Cosmology and Astro-Particle Meeting (PMCAP) 2026, held at the NCRA Campus.

IISER Pune
IIT Bombay
TIFR India
Inter-University Centre for Astronomy & Astrophysics

Dr. Ashish Kumar, a post-doctoral fellow at National Centre for Radio Astrophysics, in collaboration with Prof. Avinash Deshpande (Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur) and Prof. Pankaj Jain (Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur), presents a new way to measure distances to pulsars.

By combining two interstellar effects - dispersion and scattering - their method traces how radio signals evolve as they travel through space. Applied to pulsars near the Gum Nebula, this approach offers a promising route to estimate distances to hundreds of sources across the Galaxy, and possibly even Fast Radio Bursts.

A subtle shift in how we read signals, but one that could reshape how we map cosmic distances!

Scan the QR code to read more.

The latest issue of “Contact”, the official magazine of the SKA Observatory, highlights a couple of Indian activities in radio astronomy lately, both with strong ties to our facilities. The issue features the recent SKA-India Science Meeting at Indian Institute of Science Education and Research - Mohali, detailing how the Indian scientific community is preparing for the era, with playing a pivotal role in these efforts. It also spotlights RADatHome, India for Citizen-Science research in Astronomy citizen science project's discovery of the most distant and powerful Odd Radio Circle (ORC) to date, which was identified using data from the LOFAR Two-meter Sky Survey (LoTSS).
Read the full issue here: https://issuu.com/ska_telescope/docs/contact_19


SKA India Consortium
Department of Atomic Energy, India
Department of Science and Technology, Government of India

Contact 19 Published on the seventh anniversary of SKAO Convention being signed, this issue celebrates recent technical milestones for the SKA-Mid telescope, dives into how interferometers work, details our late

We cordially invite you to join us for the Govind Swarup Memorial Lecture - 2026, an annual event that the National Centre for Radio Astrophysics - India started in 2021, in honor of Prof. Govind Swarup, who was a major force behind establishing radio astronomy research in India.

This year's lecture will be delivered by Prof. Bernard Fanaroff on 23rd March, 16:00 IST.

Tune in at https://www.youtube.com/ncraoutreachcommittee/live

Department of Atomic Energy, India
TIFR India

We are delighted to share that the prestigious biennial M. P. Birla Memorial Award has been conferred upon Prof. Yashwant Gupta, Centre Director of NCRA, in recognition of his outstanding contributions to astronomy and astrophysics! The award ceremony was held on 13th March 2026, inside the iconic M.P. Birla Planetarium - the oldest planetarium in India. On this occasion, Prof. Gupta also delivered the award lecture on observing the universe with radio waves.

For more details, visit their page here:
https://mpbirlaplanetarium.org/m-p-birla-memorial-award-2025/

Join the - Team!

The National Centre for Radio Astrophysics (NCRA-TIFR) is currently conducting a major recruitment drive. We are looking for motivated and enthusiastic individuals to join our team across several key departments. This includes a diverse range of scientific and technical positions across NCRA, Pune; Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT), Khodad; Radio Astronomy Centre (RAC), Ooty; and also as a part of India's participation in the Square Kilometer Array Observatory project.

We are looking for candidates passionate about science, engineering, and outreach, with data management skills, problem-solving mindset, collaborative spirit, and fluency in spoken and written English. Sounds interesting?

For full eligibility criteria, remuneration information, and details of the application
process, please visit our official page:
https://tinyurl.com/ncrajob2026

Deadline: 20th March, 2026

Please share this information with potentially interested people in your circles.

As part of the celebrations, Rashi Jain (Research Scholar, NCRA) and Prof. Yogesh Wadadekar (Faculty, NCRA) were invited to the Chandrasekhar Auditorium at Inter-University Centre for Astronomy & Astrophysics to deliver a presentation about their latest discovery. They delivered an engaging talk on Alaknanda, a unique galaxy discovered by their team, followed by an interactive session with a diverse audience.

There is no greater reward than inspiring the next generation of scientists.
At this year's , the stall served as a dedicated hub for sparking a dialogue about astronomy. Our Students, Postdocs, and Faculty members guided visitors, ranging from curious children to senior citizens, through complex astronomical concepts using a range of educational posters, demonstrations and a detailed mini- model.
A major highlight was our "Ask an Astronomer" section, where curious minds could engage directly with our researchers. It was a privilege to share our work and foster a deeper appreciation for radio astronomy among the visiting students and adults.

at the is observed annually on February 28 and March 1, bringing together a diverse community of students and science enthusiasts. The event features an extensive exhibition of innovative projects from school and college students, alongside technical and pedagogical demonstrations hosted by , GMRT, and other participating institutions. A key highlight remains the guided tour of one of the GMRT antennas, offering visitors a first-hand look at the sheer scale of our radio telescope facility.