BULLETIN OF IMSP - (IMD), Pune

Some reminiscences of Dr, PisharotyO. N. DharIndian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, PuneI was deputed for Snow Survey work from India Meteorological Department(IMD), New Delhi to Cyclone Warning Center (CWC), New Delhi in March 1947. Onbeing selected by the UPSC in 1951, I returned to IMD and was posted to MeteorologicalForecasting Office at Safdarjung airport, New Delhi. At that time, Dr. Pisharoty wasMeteorologist-in-Charge of that office.Soon after joining the Met. Office, Safderjung, Dr.Pisharoty put me in theforecasting officer's roster-duty although I was completely untrained for the job! He toldme that he believed that a man quickly picks up the work when he is actually put in thatseat/job. He gave me an example of a man who is thrown in a river. To save his life hewill struggle with all his might and in that process he will learn swimming and savehimself. I had to work very hard for a couple of weeks to learn the technique offorecasting including learning the various weather codes, analyses of different WeatherCharts and all other items of work connected with the duty officer's job. I now feel that ifhe had not put me in the Duty officer's seat at the very beginning, I would have takenmonths to pick up the various items of work. This is just an example of Dr. Pisharoty'smethod of training his staff and officers without any loss of time. Of course, he wouldstand by his people if there was any mishap or mistake made unintentionally.During those days, it so happened that I came a bit closer to Dr.Pisharoty. Afriend of his, viz. Dr.S.Parthasarthy, who was then senior Deputy Director (I/CUltrasonic Division) in the NPL, New Delhi happened to be a friend of my father.Dr.Pisharoty and Dr.Parasarthy were both students of Sir. C. V. Raman in Bangalore andas such they were close friends. Naturally, when Dr. Parthasarthy came to know that Iwas working under Dr.Pisharoty, he just put in a word about me to Dr. Pisharoty. Thisworked well and naturally, Dr. Pisharoty took more than normal interest in me.Dr.Pisharoty did not remain long in the Safdarjung Met. Office as he had to go toUSA for higher studies in meteorology under the UN/WMO project. Towards the end of1952, he left for USA and remained in USA for 2 years. He successfully completed bothM.S. and Ph.D. Degrees in meteorology in just two years' time which is a record. Veryfew Indians have achieved this distinction of completing M.S. and Ph.D. Degrees in twoyears in USA.When I was working in CWC, New Delhi, I came in contact with Dr. J.E.Church,who was then the President of International Commission of Snow and Glaciers. He was ameteorologist of the Nevada University, USA. He was invited by the Govt. of India totrain a few young Indians with good meteorological background, for Snow Surveying inthe Himalayas. I was one of the four young boys selected for this training by Dr.K.R.Ramanathan, then Officiating DGO and by a Member of CWC. We were trained by Dr.Church in the snow fields of Kosi Himalayas in eastern Nepal for a couple of months.It was so happened that Dr. Church was pleased with my work and recommendedme for further training in USA which did not materialize. When he returned to USA herecommended my name to several USA Universities who gave me admission topostgraduate courses in Meteorology. On Dr. Church's recommendation, I was also made10