Modi Pays Tribute to Fibre Optics Pioneer Kapany
Why in News?
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tribute to Dr Narinder Singh Kapany, called the "Father of Fiber Optics", and asked young people to draw inspiration from scientists like him, News On AIR reported on 9 November 2026.
- The tribute came in his 139th Mann Ki Baat address, soon after Kapany's birth centenary on 31 October. He was born on 31 October 1926 in Moga, Punjab, and died in California on 3 December 2020.
- In the early 1950s he showed at Imperial College London that images can be carried through bundles of flexible glass fibres.
Key Terminologies
- Narinder Singh Kapany
- An Indian-born physicist who worked in the United States and is known as the father of fibre optics. He was born in Moga, Punjab, in 1926 and died in California in 2020.
- Fibre Optics
- The technology of sending light through thin strands of glass or plastic. It carries internet, telephone and television signals at high speed and is used in medicine and sensors.
- Total Internal Reflection
- The principle that keeps light inside a fibre. When light hits the boundary of a denser medium at a large enough angle, it is reflected back inside instead of escaping.
- Harold Hopkins
- The British physicist at Imperial College London with whom Kapany worked in the early 1950s on transmitting images through glass fibres.
- Sikh Foundation
- An organisation that Kapany and his wife Satinder Kaur co-founded to promote Sikh art and culture. He built a notable collection of Sikh art.
Key Issues
- The Tribute: Modi called Kapany the "Father of Fiber Optics" and urged young people to draw inspiration from scientists like him, in his 139th Mann Ki Baat address, News On AIR reported.
- Centenary: Kapany was born on 31 October 1926 in Moga, Punjab, and his birth centenary was marked on 31 October 2026.
- The Science: While working with Professor Harold Hopkins at Imperial College London in the early 1950s he showed that images could be sent through bundles of flexible glass fibres. After his PhD in optics he coined the term "fiber optics" in a Scientific American article.
- Early Work: He had earlier worked at an ordnance factory in India, where he learned to make optical instruments.
- Beyond Science: He was a Padma Vibhushan recipient and a philanthropist who co-founded the Sikh Foundation with his wife Satinder Kaur. His memoir is The Man Who Bent Light, and he died peacefully in California on 3 December 2020.
Key Implications
Positive/Pros/Merits
- Inspiration for Youth: Highlighting an Indian scientist who shaped a global technology encourages interest in science.
- Recognition of Indian Contributions: The tribute reminds the public that Indians contributed to modern communications.
- Technology Base: Fibre optics underlies the internet, telecom networks and medical imaging.
- Diaspora Pride: Kapany's career shows the role of the Indian diaspora in science and philanthropy.
Negative/Cons/Demerits
- Delayed Recognition: Kapany's role was little known in India for decades, which shows gaps in how science history is told.
- Brain Drain: He did his major work abroad, which raises the question of opportunities for scientists at home.
- Policy Link Missing: A tribute alone does not build laboratories or funding, which are needed to repeat such successes.
- Limited Detail: The report did not give the year of the Scientific American article or his awards in detail.
Key Initiatives
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi: He paid tribute to Kapany in his 139th Mann Ki Baat address, reported 9 November 2026.
- Government of India: It honoured Kapany with the Padma Vibhushan, according to the report.
- Sikh Foundation: The body he co-founded with Satinder Kaur promotes Sikh art and culture.
- sikhism/" class="maargx-auto-link" data-preview="At a Glance Founder Guru Nanak, born 1469 at Talwandi Teaching One God, the Name, honest work, sharing Base Kartarpur Scripture Adi…">Guru Nanak Dev University: It awarded him an honorary degree before his death, the report said.
The report did not mention a Fortune magazine "unsung hero" listing. The Padma Vibhushan is stated as in the report, and the year of the Scientific American article is not given there.
Director's Perspective
Way Forward
- Know that Kapany is called the father of fibre optics and was born in Moga, Punjab.
- Understand total internal reflection and how fibre optics carries signals.
- Link fibre optics to the internet, telecom and BharatNet.
- Note that Mann Ki Baat is the Prime Minister's radio programme.
- In answers, mention the role of Indian scientists abroad.
The Prime Minister's tribute marks the centenary of Narinder Singh Kapany, whose work with glass fibres in the 1950s laid the base of fibre optics, now central to the internet and telecom. His story shows both the talent of Indian scientists and the need for opportunities at home. In a Mains answer, explain how fibre optics works and why it matters for digital India, and conclude that sustained research funding and recognition of scientists can inspire young people to enter science.
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, showed in the early 1950s that images can pass through bundles of glass fibres, and died in California on 3 December 2020, News On AIR reported.
Why did PM Modi pay tribute to Kapany?
Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tribute to Kapany in his 139th Mann Ki Baat address after his birth centenary on 31 October 2026. He asked young people to draw inspiration from scientists like him, News On AIR reported on 9 November 2026.
What is fibre optics?
Fibre optics is the technology of sending light through thin strands of glass. It works by total internal reflection and carries internet, telephone and television signals at high speed. Kapany coined the term "fiber optics" in a Scientific American article.
PYQ Practice — Statement Analysis
1 Narinder Singh Kapany is known as the father of fibre optics.
He was born in Moga, Punjab, in 1926.
2 Fibre optics works by total internal reflection of light inside a glass fibre.
This keeps light inside the fibre.
3 Kapany worked with Harold Hopkins at Oxford University.
He worked with Hopkins at Imperial College London in the early 1950s.