Professor Jayant Vishnu Narlikar was a passionate science communicator.

Professor Jayant Vishnu Narlikar (1938–2025) was a pioneering Indian astrophysicist renowned for challenging conventional cosmological theories and advancing scientific thought in India. Educated at Banaras Hindu University and Cambridge University, he collaborated with British astronomer Fred Hoyle to develop the Hoyle–Narlikar theory of gravity, which integrated Mach's principle into a conformal gravity framework. This theory proposed that the inertial mass of a particle is influenced by the mass of all other particles in the universe, offering an alternative perspective to Einstein's general relativity. Narlikar was also a proponent of the quasi-steady state cosmology, suggesting that the universe undergoes continuous creation of matter, contrasting with the Big Bang theory's singular origin. Beyond his theoretical contributions, he was instrumental in establishing the Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA) in Pune, fostering research and education in astrophysics across India. A passionate science communicator, Narlikar authored numerous books and articles to popularize science and was recognized with several prestigious awards, including the Padma Vibhushan. He passed away peacefully in his sleep at his Pune residence on May 20, 2025, at the age of 86.