Prof. Anil Kumar Goswami, former Principal of Cotton College, Guwahati passed away on the night of 27th December 2024. Prof. Goswami did his M.Sc. in Physics from Calcutta University in 1955. He completed a Ph.D. in Physics from the University of Sheffield, UK 1967, specializing in Microwave Relaxation in Ferrites. His career spanned multiple fields, with substantial research in high-energy physics, astrophysics, radio astronomy, environmental radon studies, and its implications on health. Under Dr.Goswami's leadership, Cotton College became a full-fledged post-graduate institute and was recognized as a Centre of Excellence by former President of India, Dr. Shankar Dayal Sharma. Dr. Goswami was instrumental in developing low-cost solar radio telescopes and studied environmental hazards like cancer, seismic activity, and even hydrocarbon deposits. A true visionary and institutional builder, he developed the Assam Science, Technology, and Environment Council, Regional Science Centre, Planetarium in Guwahati, and a comprehensive Science Museum Complex. Prof Goswami's excellence was recognized through numerous awards, including the prestigious Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society (FRAS) in 1996 and the D.Sc. (Honoris Causa) from Assam Down Town University in 2019.
Prof Goswami was the Chairperson of the Institutional Ethics Committee (IEC) at Dr B Borooah Cancer Institute (BBCI) from 2003 to 2017. During his stint as the Chairperson of BBCI-IEC, research projects like Population Based Cancer Registry, Hospital Based Cancer Registry, and DBT Centre for Molecular Biology and Cancer Research were started, which are still ongoing successfully. He not only contributed to the Institutional Ethics Committee, but he was an inseparable participant in all scientific discourses at BBCI. Prof Goswami has left behind a legacy of ground-breaking contributions to academics, science, and cancer research at the Institute.
