New Delhi: The International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP) has announced the 2026 Dirac Medal for Indian physicist Deepak Dhar. The award is regarded as one of the highest global recognitions in physics.
The Dirac Medal has been presented since 1985 and has previously honoured leading theoretical physicists, including Stephen Hawking. It is conferred by the ICTP to recognise outstanding work in theoretical physics.
For 2026, Dhar—an INSA Distinguished Professor—has been selected as one of four physicists for the medal, cited for his significant contributions to the field of statistical mechanics.
Dhar was born in 1951 in Pratapgarh, Uttar Pradesh, and studied in Hindi-medium schooling before completing higher studies at Allahabad University and IIT Kanpur. He earned his PhD in 1978 at Caltech on a Richard Feynman fellowship, working directly with Richard Feynman.
Despite opportunities to settle in the United States, he returned to India and joined TIFR in Mumbai. He also served as a professor at IISER Pune for around eight years, teaching hundreds of students, and has received honours including the Boltzmann Medal and the Padma Bhushan.
