Acknowledging his brilliance, Prof John L Kelly arranged for Vashishtha Narayan to study in the US at the University of California, Berkeley.
Vashishtha Narayan Singh from a little-known village in Bihar's Basantpur district, was a Maths genius whose life was mired in tragedy. Born in 1942, he topped both BSc and MSc in consecutive years. His academic prowess led him to collaborate with esteemed institutions such as NASA, IIT and Berkeley. However, due to mental illness, his life took an unexpected turn and transformed him from a potential successor to Ramanujan into a 'could-have-been.'
Vashishtha Narayan gained global recognition, with some asserting that he challenged Albert Einstein's renowned theory. Some talk about his involvement in critical NASA calculations during a computer breakdown and contributions to the Apollo missions aiming to land humans on the moon.
The son of a police constable, Vashishtha Narayan's journey began at Netarhat School in Jharkhand and continued at Patna Science College, where his mathematical brilliance earned him special attention. The college principal gave him early promotions, leading him to earn his PhD in 1969.
Acknowledging his brilliance, Prof John L Kelly arranged for Vashishtha Narayan to study in the US at the University of California, Berkeley. After nearly a decade abroad, he returned to India, teaching at prestigious institutions like IIT Kanpur, TIFR Mumbai, and ISI Kolkata. However, his life took a tragic turn as schizophrenia afflicted him, resulting in his divorce and a decline in academic recognition. He was then institutionalised. After receiving treatment, he mysteriously disappeared during a train journey, only to be later discovered living destitute in his home village.
Admitted to NIMHANS in Bengaluru and subsequently treated at IHBAS Delhi with Shatrughan Sinha's help, Vashishtha Narayan struggled with his illness. Despite the challenges, he later reentered academia at BNMU Madhepura. The mathematical genius, unable to realise his full potential, passed away at the age of 72 on November 14, 2019, receiving a posthumous Padma Shri award in recognition of his contributions.
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