Pranawachandra Deshmukh is an Indian physicist and educator renowned for his contributions to theoretical atomic physics, atomic collisions, light–matter interactions, ultrafast atomic processes, and applications of Lambert W Function in pure and applied physics. He has made significant contributions to physics education, including publishing foundational classical and quantum physics textbooks. Throughout his teaching career, he has instructed courses in classical mechanics, electrodynamics, quantum mechanics, and quantum collision physics. Many of his lectures are freely accessible through the National Programme on Technology Enhanced Learning(NPTEL), Swayamprabha where they benefit students and educators across India and beyond. His research group is one of the main contributors to the relativistic many-body studies of atomic photoionization, particularly the photoionization processes of free and confined atoms. His work includes studies of attosecond time delay, highlighting the role of electron correlations, relativistic effects and interchannel coupling. His broader research interests also include quantum information science and mathematical physics.

Prof. Deshmukh has authored over 300 research publications, including approximately 150 journal articles and around 200 conference contributions. He has supervised 17 doctoral theses and over 20 master's and undergraduate theses.

Prof. Deshmukh has been awarded the prestigious ANRF Prime Minister Professorship in Dec 2025. Currently, he serves as a professor in the Dept. of Physics, Central University of Kerala where he plans to mentor researchers and help build an advanced research eco-system. Prior to this he was the Founder-Convenor and Mentor of the Center for Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Sciences ad Technologies (CAMOST) in Tirupati. CAMOST is a joint initiative of the Indian Institute of Technology Tirupati (IITT) and the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Tirupati (IISERT). Concurrently, he is RV Chair Professor at the Centre for Quantum Science and Technology (CQST), School of Computer Science and Engineering (SoCSE) at RV University, where he guides research and educational efforts in quantum science, drawing on his vast expertise to support the center's growth and innovation. Besides, he is the Chief Technology Advisor to the Vivekananda Institute of Professional Studies (VIPS), Delhi

Early life and education Deshmukh was born in Amravati, Maharashtra, on 12 September 1950. He completed his higher education in Nagpur, where he studied at the Saraswathi Vidyalaya, Hadas High School, Institute of Science, and the Postgraduate Department of Physics of Nagpur University. He obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in 1970 and a Master of Science (Physics) in 1972. After his master's degree, he obtained a Ph.D. in physics at Nagpur University in 1979 under the supervision of Dr. C. Mande and Dr. P. L. Khare.

Career and research Following his doctoral work, Deshmukh was a DANIDA fellow at the University of Aarhus in the Department of Theoretical Chemistry (1978–1979), where he worked with Professor Jan Linderberg. He then worked as a research associate at the University of Notre Dame with Professor Robert Hayes and Professor W. R. Johnson. From 1980 until 1983, Deshmukh was a research associate and adjunct assistant professor at Georgia State University, collaborating with Professor S. T. Manson.

In 1984, Deshmukh joined the Department of Physics at the Indian Institute of Technology Madras as an assistant professor of physics, becoming a full professor in 1995, a position he held until 2016. During his tenure at IIT Madras, he was appointed on deputation as professor of physics and dean of academics at the Indian Institute of Technology Mandi (2009–2010).

In 2016, Deshmukh joined the Indian Institute of Technology Tirupati as a professor of physics. Simultaneously, the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Tirupati invited him to deliver several courses and mentor its students. In 2020, Deshmukh set up CAMOST, a joint initiative of IITT and IISERT.

Professor Pranawachandra  Deshmukh has supervised numerous Ph.D. students: Dr. N. Shanthi, Dr. R. Padma, Dr. E. W. B. Dias, Dr. Tanima Banerjee, Dr. Hari R Varma, Dr. S. Sunil Kumar, Dr. Jobin Jose, Dr. Gagan Bihari Pradhan, Dr. Manas Ranjan Parida, Dr. N. M. Murthy, Dr. K. Sindhu, Dr. A. K. Yadav, Dr. Arthi Ganeshan, Dr. Ummal Momeen, Dr. Soumyajit Saha, Dr. Ankur Mondal, and Dr. Sourav Banerjee.

Notable Positions

Visiting Scientist, Georgia State University, Atlanta (often, since 1985). Visiting Scientist, University of Aarhus, Denmark: 1991 Senior Research Associate, International Center for Theoretical Physics, Trieste, Italy: 2002-2009 Head of the Department of Physics, IIT Madras: 2006-2009 Head of the School of Basic Sciences, and Dean (Academics), IIT Mandi: 2009-2010 Visiting professor, The Western University of London, Ontario, Canada: 2011 Western Fellow, The Western University of London, Ontario, Canada: 2013-2014 Visiting/Adjunct Professor, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Tirupati: 2015-2018 Dean, Sponsored Research and Consultancy, IIT Tirupati: 2016-2020 Mentor and Convener, Center for Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Sciences and Technologies (CAMOST):  Since 2020

Publications

Books and monographs

Foundations of Classical Mechanics, Cambridge University Press (2019), Foundation of Classical Mechanics Quantum Collisions and Confinement of Atomic and Molecular Species, and Photons, Chief Editor; Published by Springer (2019) Quantum Mechanics – Formalism, Methodologies, and Applications, Cambridge University Press (2023) Quantum Mechanics – Formalism, Methodologies, and Applications

Services

Convener, 11th National Conference of Atomic and Molecular Physics, Indian Society for Atomic and Molecular Physics: December 1996 Secretary, Indian Society for Atomic and Molecular Physics: 2001–2003 Vice President, Indian Society for Atomic and Molecular Physics: 2003-2004 President, Indian Society for Atomic and Molecular Physics: 2005-2006 Member, International Advisory Committee, Asian International Seminar on Atomic and Molecular Physics: 2004–2007, 2011–2016 Convener, 7th Asian International Seminar on Atomic and Molecular Physics: December 4–7, 2006 Convener, 7th Topical Conference of the Indian Society for Atomic and Molecular Physics: January 6–8, 2018 Convener, AAMOS20 - Advances in Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Sciences: December 14–18, 2020 Member, Board of Editors, Institute of Physics Journal - Physica Scripta: Ongoing Member, Indian Association of Physics Teachers

Selected Talks

Why is reality NON-LOCAL? Attosecond dynamics Time and time delay in atomic dynamics The only principle that required explanation in terms of two different phenomena How come Newton's laws works?

Selected bibliography

References