Prof. M.G.K. Menon was Minister of State for Science & Technology and for Education in the Union Cabinet during 1989-90 and Member of Parliament (1990-96). He was Member, Planning Commission (with the rank of Minister of State) [from April, 1982 - December, 1989] and also Scientific Adviser to Prime Minister (1986 - 1989). Earlier, he was Scientific Adviser to the Minister of Defence, Director-

He had a distinguished career at the University of Bristol in England working in the field of cosmic rays and elementary particle physics during 1949 to 1955. From 1955 to 1975 he was at the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research as Reader, Associate Prof., Professor’s Dy. Director and their Director. 

Prof. Menon succeeded Dr. Homi Bhabha as Director, TIFR in January 1966, and occupied this position for almost a decade. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society, London (1970) ; Hon. Foreign Member, American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and Member Pontifical Academy of Sciences ; Hon. Member, IEEE ; Hon. Fellow to Institute of Physics (U.K.) Russian Academy of Sciences. He was a Member, Board of Governors, International Development Research Centre of the Canada, and was also member, Governing Council, United Nations University, Tokyo. He was President of International Council of Scientific Unions (1988-1993). He is a fellow of the Indian Academy of Sciences, (President 1974-76) of the Indian National Science Academy (President 1981-82) and Hon. Fellow, National Academy of Sciences, (President 1987- 88). He was General President of the Indian Science Congress Association during 1981-82. He has received Honorary Doctorates in Science from thirteen Indian Universities and the Indian Institutes of Technology, Kharagpur and Madras, University of Bristol, and an Honorary Doctorate in Engineering, Stevens Institute of Technology (U.S.A.).

He was awarded the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Award of CSIR for Physical Sciences in 1960, the G Chatterjee Award of Indian Science Congress Association (1984) ; C. V. Raman Medal (1985) and C. V. Raman Professorship of Indian National Science Academy ; J. C. Bose Triennial Gold Medal, of the Bose Institute ; Ashutosh Mookherjee Gold Medal the highest award of Indian Science Congress Association, (1988) ; and to Shatabdi Puraskar (1999) ; “Health for All Medal” of WHO given on it’s 40th Anniversary (1988) ; Abu Salam Medal of the Third World. Academy of Sciences (1997) Prof. Menon was MN Saha distinguished fellow of the National Academy of Science (India) during 1994-1999 and is presently Dr. Vikram Sarabhai distinguished Professor of Indian Space Research Organization (1999-2002). He is Chairman Boarding Governor of Indian Institute Technology, Bombay ; President Indian Statistical Institute, Calcutta ; President Raman Research Insistute Trust ; President LEAD (India).

Professor Memon’s research contributions have been in the area of high energy elementary particle physics. Nationally his contributions have been to : the electronics and information technology sector ; the space programme ; defence technologies ; environment ; promotion of science and technology ; building of infrastructure and new institutions in newly emergency areas.