Pune, 7th November 2025: Eminent Indian astrophysicist and former Director of the Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA), Dr. Naresh Dadhich, passed away in Beijing, China on Thursday following a cardiac arrest. He was 81. His mortal remains will soon be brought back to India.
Dr. Dadhich had travelled to Beijing about a month ago for joint research work. Although he had been feeling unwell for a couple of days, he appeared better on Thursday morning. However, he later suffered a cardiac arrest and passed away. He had a long-standing heart condition.
Born on September 1, 1944, in Churu district of Rajasthan, Dr. Dadhich completed his research in general relativity at Savitribai Phule Pune University (then University of Pune) under the guidance of noted astrophysicist Dr. Vishnu Naralikar.
He joined the university faculty as a mathematics professor in 1988 and played an important role in establishing IUCAA in Pune. He served as IUCAA Director between 2003 and 2009.
After completing his tenure, Dr. Dadhich continued teaching as M. A. Ansari Chair Professor until 2016 and later served as Honorary Professor of Physics at Jamia Millia Islamia University in New Delhi.
An internationally respected researcher, he worked with leading institutions including the University of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa, as well as research groups in Portsmouth (UK) and Bilbao (Spain).
He authored more than 200 scientific papers along with his collaborators, focusing mainly on Einstein’s theory of general relativity, black holes, and quantum gravity. His books and research work in astrophysics earned wide recognition.