Goverdhan Mehta (born 26 June 1943) is an Indian researcher and scientist.[1] From 1998-2005 he was the director of the Indian Institute of Science (IISc). Previously from 1977-1998, Mehta was a professor of chemistry and vice-chancellor at the University of Hyderabad. Mehta has authored over 550 research papers.[1]
Career
Mehta received his BSc and MSc from the BITS Pilani[1][2] and PhD from Pune University in 1967.[3] His post-doctoral research was at the Michigan State University under Prof. Don Farnum and at the Ohio State University under Prof. Paul G. Gassman. [4] He joined IIT Kanpur in 1969 and remained there until 1977. From 1977 to 1998, he was Professor of Chemistry at the University of Hyderabad and from 1998 to 2010, he was a professor at the Indian Institute of Science Bangalore.[5] Since 2010, he is university distinguished professor and holds the Dr. Kallam Anji Reddy Chair at Department of Chemistry, University of Hyderabad, India. From 2010-2018, Mehta was the Lilly-Jubilant Chair Professor at Department of Chemistry, University of Hyderabad, India.
Mehta has authored more than 450 research papers. He is a recipient of over 40 honorary doctorates from India/abroad and has delivered over 300 invited/plenary/award lectures at Universities/Institutions across the world. He has been a member of the scientific advisory council to the prime minister and also the scientific advisory committee to the Cabinet. [6]
Member, Science & Engineering Research Council (SERC) (1984–90), (1994–97)
Member, Scientific Advisory Committee, Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas (1984–88)
Member, Government of India Scientific Commission on Bhopal Gas Leakage (1985–87)
Chairman, National Committee for IUPAC (1991–93)
Member, India-European Union (EU) Round Table of Eminent Persons
Controversy
In 2006, the US Government refused Mehta a visa; this decision was strongly criticised by Indian and American scientists. The US ambassador to India David Mulford offered his apology to Mehta.
[36][37][38][39][40][41]
Publications
Mehta, Goverdhan; Murthy, A. Narayana; Reddy, D. Sivakumar; Reddy, A. Veera (1986). "A general approach to linearly fused triquinane natural products. Total syntheses of (.+-.)-hirsutene, (.+-.)-coriolin, and (.+-.)-capnellene". Journal of the American Chemical Society. 108 (12). American Chemical Society (ACS): 3443–3452. doi:10.1021/ja00272a046. ISSN0002-7863.
Mehta, Goverdhan; Padma, S. (1987). "D2h-bishomohexaprismane ("garudane"). Design of the face-to-face 2 + 2 dimer of norbornadiene". Journal of the American Chemical Society. 109 (23). American Chemical Society (ACS): 7230–7232. doi:10.1021/ja00257a076. ISSN0002-7863.
Mehta, Goverdhan; Khan, Faiz Ahmed (1990). "Electronic control of .pi.-facial selectivities in nucleophilic additions to 7-norbornanones". Journal of the American Chemical Society. 112 (16). American Chemical Society (ACS): 6140–6142. doi:10.1021/ja00172a047. ISSN0002-7863.
Mehta, Goverdhan; Reddy, S. Hari Krishna (1993). "Golcondane: A Novel, Caged, Nonacyclic C20H24-Hydrocarbon ofD2d Symmetry". Angewandte Chemie International Edition in English. 32 (8). Wiley: 1160–1161. doi:10.1002/anie.199311601. ISSN0570-0833.
Mehta, Goverdhan; Singh, S. Robindro (30 January 2006). "Total Synthesis of (±)-Merrilactone A". Angewandte Chemie International Edition. 45 (6). Wiley: 953–955. doi:10.1002/anie.200503618. ISSN1433-7851. PMID16381043.