Kapany at 100: Father of Fibre Optics
Why in News?
- Moga in Punjab marked the birth centenary of Dr Narinder Singh Kapany, known as the "father of fibre optics", on 31 October 2026, The Tribune reported.
- The district administration held a two-day science exhibition with about 40 schools, screened a documentary on his life and said a library would be set up in his memory.
- Kapany was born in Moga on 31 October 1926.
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi had paid tribute to him on 25 October 2026 in the 139th episode of Mann Ki Baat.
- He said today's internet and digital communication would be hard to imagine without fibre optics.
Key Terminologies
- Fibre Optics
- The technology of sending light signals through thin glass or plastic fibres. It carries data for the internet, telephones and medical instruments.
- Fiberscope
- A flexible bundle of optical fibres that carries light and images. Kapany developed it, and it has uses in medicine and communications.
- Harold Hopkins
- The British optical scientist who supervised Kapany's doctoral research at Imperial College, London. In 1953 Kapany demonstrated light transmission through a bundle of fibres.
- Optics Technology Inc.
- The company Kapany founded in 1960 in the United States. He later also founded Kaptron Inc.
- Mann Ki Baat
- The Prime Minister's monthly radio programme. The 139th episode of 25 October 2026 carried the tribute to Kapany.
Key Issues
- Delayed Recognition: Fortune magazine named Kapany one of seven "Unsung Heroes of the 20th century", and he received the Padma Vibhushan posthumously in 2021, according to Asianet News. He died on 4 December 2020. Honours came late for a scientist of his rank.
- From Lab to Industry: Kapany demonstrated light transmission through a bundle of fibres in 1953 and earned his doctorate in 1955. He then founded Optics Technology Inc. in 1960 and later Kaptron Inc., The Tribune reported. Turning discovery into products needed companies and capital.
- Research Abroad: Kapany moved to Imperial College of Science and Technology in London in 1952 and later built his career in the United States. In analysis, the story shows how often Indian researchers do their best-known work outside India.
- Digital Dependence: Modi said the internet and digital communication would be nearly unimaginable without fibre optics, IANS reported on 25 October 2026. Fibre links are the base of the digital economy.
- Public Memory: Moga's two-day exhibition involved about 40 schools and a documentary screening, The Tribune said. Awareness of Indian scientists still depends on anniversary events.
Key Implications
Positive/Pros/Merits
- Youth Inspiration: Modi urged young people to learn about Kapany and other Indian scientists in Mann Ki Baat, and Moga's exhibition reached about 40 schools. Role models can draw students to science.
- Wide Applications: Kapany's research extended to lasers, solar energy, biomedical instruments and pollution monitoring, and he held more than 100 patents, The Tribune reported. Basic optics research fed many fields.
- Deep-Tech Ecosystem: In the same Mann Ki Baat, Modi praised IIT Madras start-ups in deep technology, including AI cervical cancer screening and drone batteries. Incubation can turn research into products.
- Local Pride: A Moga library in his memory would give his birthplace a lasting place for science reading.
Negative/Cons/Demerits
- Not Yet Built: The library in Kapany's memory has been announced, not built, so the memorial remains a plan.
- Commercial Gains Abroad: Kapany's companies were set up in the United States. In analysis, the economic return of his invention went largely to firms outside India.
- Thin Public Record: The coverage gives few details of his awards in India during his lifetime, which shows a gap in documenting Indian scientists.
- Event-Driven Interest: Recognition tied to a centenary may fade after the anniversary unless school curricula carry it forward.
Key Initiatives
- Moga District Administration, October 2026: A two-day science exhibition with about 40 schools, inaugurated by Deputy Commissioner Sagar Setia, with a documentary on Kapany and a promised library in his memory.
- Mann Ki Baat, 25 October 2026: The Prime Minister paid tribute to Kapany in the 139th episode and urged young people to learn about Indian scientists.
- Padma Vibhushan, 2021: The Government of India conferred India's second-highest civilian honour on Kapany posthumously, according to Asianet News.
- IIT Madras Incubation: The Prime Minister highlighted the institute's incubation ecosystem for deep-tech start-ups in the same programme.
The Moga district administration says the exhibition and library aim to keep Kapany's work before students. The Prime Minister has asked young people to study the work of Indian scientists. Both steps are about awareness and inspiration, and no research scheme has been named in his honour in the reports reviewed.
Director's Perspective
Way Forward
- Add a short, accurate chapter on Kapany and the Fiberscope to school science books.
- Fund a Moga science centre with a working fibre-optics gallery and open the promised library on a fixed date.
- Link university research grants to patent filing and start-up support, so inventors can build companies in India.
- Document the lives of Indian scientists in the diaspora, with their papers and patents kept in public archives.
- Hold the centenary events through the year, with school visits and lectures, not on one date alone.
Kapany's life is a case study in the gap between discovery and recognition. He showed light travelling through fibres in 1953, built companies, held over 100 patents and shaped the internet's physical base. India honoured him only after his death. In a Mains answer, credit his science and his founding of firms, then conclude that India must build the labs, funding and memory to keep such talent and credit at home.
GS Relevance
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was Narinder Singh Kapany?
Narinder Singh Kapany was an Indian-born physicist known as the father of fibre optics. He was born in Moga, Punjab, on 31 October 1926, demonstrated light transmission through a bundle of optical fibres in 1953 and died on 4 December 2020, according to The Tribune and Asianet News.
What was Kapany's contribution to science?
Kapany pioneered fibre optics research, which underpins high-speed internet, telecommunications and data transmission. He also developed the Fiberscope, a flexible bundle of optical fibres that carries light and images, and founded Optics Technology Inc. in 1960, The Tribune reported on 31 October 2026.
What honours did Kapany receive?
Kapany was named by Fortune magazine as one of seven "Unsung Heroes of the 20th century" and received the Padma Vibhushan posthumously in 2021, according to Asianet News. The Prime Minister paid tribute to him in Mann Ki Baat on 25 October 2026, ahead of his birth centenary.
PYQ Practice — Statement Analysis
1 Narinder Singh Kapany did his doctoral research under optical scientist Harold Hopkins at Imperial College, London.
He moved there in 1952 and earned his PhD in 1955.
2 Kapany is credited with pioneering research in fibre optics.
His research underpins high-speed internet and telecommunications.
3 Kapany was born in Amritsar in 1926.
He was born in Moga, Punjab, on 31 October 1926.
4 The Padma Vibhushan was conferred on Kapany during his lifetime.
It was conferred posthumously in 2021.