Early Life and Introduction to Earthquakes

Born in pre-Independence era dominated by the Quit India Movement in 1942 my childhood was spent in the safe environs of home of a well-to-do family in a period that witnessed the final push of freedom struggle in the country. Those were testing times for every Indian and the atmosphere in the country was charged with great nationalistic fervor. My grandfather and my parents saw to it that my early life was insulated from the fury of agitations and unrest in the country during the partition of India. The dawn of independence in 1947 became my gateway to self-discovery when my schooling began at St. George’s College. Three near fatal incidences and my reaction to them was a revelation to realize my fearless spirit and never say die attitude in life. Later, graduating from the world-renowned Indian School of Mines, Dhanbad, my interest in Earth sciences blossomed. The first job opportunity that came my way at the Central Seismological Observatory in picturesque land of mountains and clouds in Shillong initiated me into the study of earthquakes.