From the Royal Institute to Bristol
Menon completed a BSc at Jaswant College, Jodhpur, in 1946 and an MSc at the Royal Institute of Science in 1949. At Bristol he worked with Nobel laureate Cecil Powell and earned his doctorate in cosmic-ray and particle physics in 1953.
Cosmic rays and TIFR
Menon joined TIFR in 1955 and became its Director in 1966. His research used high-altitude balloons and deep-underground observations at the Kolar Gold Fields to study cosmic rays, high-energy particles and neutrinos.
National scientific leadership
He served as ISRO Chairman in 1972, Director General of DRDO, Secretary in the Departments of Electronics and Science and Technology, a Planning Commission member and Scientific Adviser to the Prime Minister.
Legacy
Menon's career connected experimental physics, institutional leadership and public policy. His influence extended across atomic energy, space, defence research, electronics, environmental planning and higher education.