It is an immense honour and privilege to be part of this volume that is being brought out in memory of Dr. Raja Ramanna on his birth centenary. Though I am relatively young compared to the active years of Dr. Ramanna’s illustrious career, I am proud that my time at the National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS) overlapped with the last six months of his time here. I vividly recall several occasions when we met during those six months. One particular memory that stands out is from April 2004, when I gave my first Wednesday Talk at NIAS on my master’s research, Dr. Ramanna attended the talk, and afterwards, he spoke to me personally about the talk. I remember how he would go to the dining hall early, around 12:30, and I would time my arrival to catch a moment to greet him. On the third day of doing this, he chuckled and remarked, “It amazes me how young people can feel hungry so soon!”…
