In an observance that went smoothly with the mood of learning and vision, Somaiya Vidyavihar University organized the National Symposium on Computational Science and the 75th birthday festschrift of one of India’s best computational chemists, Prof. Shridhar R. Gadre. Organized by the Department of Computer Science at the Centre for Excellence in Computational Science and Simulations (C2S2) of the university, the two-day conference saw researchers, scholars, and thinkers from India and the world gather to commemorate a scientific heritage that continues to influence the direction of quantum chemistry today.

Organized jointly with the Srinivasa Ramanujan Institute for Basic Sciences (SRIBS), the symposium was an intellectual highlight and personal, emotional culmination of the career that has inspired so many. The symposium was addressed by Prof. V. N. Rajasekharan Pillai, Vice Chancellor, Somaiya Vidyavihar University, and Prof. Gadre himself. It was not only a tribute but also a timely observation of the way in which computational science is redefining the frontiers of inquiry in the 21st century.

“Computational science has crossed discipline boundaries,” said Prof. V. N. Rajasekharan Pillai during his inaugural address. “Today it propels innovation in chemistry, biology, physics, and engineering. Symposia like this provide the room we require for more academic interface, particularly when science has to be solution-oriented and integrative.”

On the occasion, researchers from premier institutions like IISER Mohali, IIT Madras, Savitribai Phule Pune University, and Digital University Kerala presented their recent research and work. The symposium also witnessed participation from foreign institutions operating in Germany and Italy, which highlighted computational science’s international applicability as well as Prof. Gadre’s work. Technical talks, inter-disciplinary panel sessions, and a lively poster session by young scientists rendered the venue a hub of intellectual ferment and cross-fertilization of ideas.

The centre of attention was unmistakably Prof. Shridhar R. Gadre, whose trail-blazing contributions to quantum chemistry have brought India a distinctive niche on the international scientific platform. Best known for his work on bounds of energy functionals, scalar fields, molecular clusters, and the Molecular Tailoring Approach (MTA), Prof. Gadre’s research has enabled computationally intensive and very accurate quantum chemical investigations of large molecular systems. The Molecular Tailoring Approach has itself been universally praised as new and efficient, enabling investigators to cope with complex molecular systems more efficiently and accurately.

Throughout his four-decade-long teaching career, Prof. Gadre has authored more than 240 research papers and articles, the majority of which have revolutionized the science of computational chemistry. His over two-decade-long tenure at Savitribai Phule Pune University, during which he mentored more than 20 PhD researchers, is remembered as an era of unmatched progress in research productivity and academic excellence. His accolades and awards include the very exclusive Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize, the INSA Fellowship, and an Indian Chemical Society’s Lifetime Achievement Award.

Addressing the symposium, Prof. S. Sivaram, Professor of Eminence, Somaiya Vidyavihar University. encapsulated the scholarly life of Prof. Gadre. “Prof. Gadre’s life is what academic leadership should stand for: scientific accuracy, intellectual nuance, and the ability to guide generations of scholars. This symposium was not just a tribute to legacy. It was an envisioning of the future that his work continues to build.”

The lectures during the symposium pointed out the interdisciplinary nature of modern computational science, merely touching on its increasing applicability to finding solutions for real-world problems transcending scientific domains. New models, algorithms, and techniques were demonstrated by scholars that are redefining computation and simulation’s roles in deciphering complex biological systems, material science, and chemical interaction. All these sync with Prof. Gadre’s own conviction that science must be integrative, adaptable, and mission-driven.

The institutional support and the function of mentorship in spurring scientific research was also highlighted by the function. By double celebration of scholastic accomplishment and the values that underpin it, the symposium evoked the vision of Somaiya Vidyavihar University for creating an academic culture that instills teamwork, innovation, and lifelong learning.

As the symposium ended, it was apparent that it had done a great deal more than it had aimed to do. It had not only been a tribute to a giant of Indian science but had also launched a new wave of interdisciplinarity in research and mentorship. The arguments which were triggered at the symposium are set to usher in new partnerships and achievements, vindicating the vision of the university in building thought leaders in emerging fields.

In honoring the memory of Prof. Shridhar R. Gadre, the National Symposium on Computational Science was an epitome of hope regarding what the future of science holds—tough, inclusive, and highly influential.