Himachal Scientist Rakesh Thakur Honoured with National Rajbhasha Gaurav Award
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Recognized for his Hindi Technical Book – “Testing of Engineering Materials at High Strain Rate”
Shimla, 15 September 2025
In recognition of his outstanding contribution to Hindi technical literature, senior Defence Scientist from Himachal Pradesh, Rakesh Kumar Thakur, has been awarded the Rajbhasha Gaurav Puraskar – 2024 by the Government of India.
The award was conferred upon Thakur during the 5th All India Rajbhasha Conference, held on the occasion of Hindi Diwas 2025 in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. The award was presented by Arjun Ram Meghwal, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Law & Justice and Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs.
Thakur received the honour for his Hindi-language technical book titled “Ucch Tanav-Dar Par Abhiyantriki Padarthon Ka Parikshan” (“Testing of Engineering Materials at High Strain Rate”), which explores testing methods and related techniques used in defence research. The book is noted for its clarity and accessibility, presenting complex concepts in simplified and comprehensible Hindi.
The book elaborates on the Split Hopkinson Pressure Bar (SHPB) technique—covering its principles, structure, testing procedures, and related calculations in an easy-to-understand manner. It includes experimental results on materials like explosives, aluminium, and polyurethane foam, and explains complex topics such as shock tubes, blast mitigation techniques, blast loading, and key-strain laminates.
This publication is not only valuable for scientists and engineers but is also highly useful for academic institutions, defence research and design organizations, technical instructors, and students. To enhance understanding, the book incorporates English technical terms in Devanagari script alongside their Hindi counterparts, and includes a comprehensive technical Hindi glossary at the end.
Born in 1981 in Sundernagar, Himachal Pradesh, Rakesh Thakur completed his B.Tech in Mechanical Engineering from the National Institute of Technology (NIT), Hamirpur in 2004. He joined DRDO as a Scientist ‘B’ in 2003. In 2010, he was honoured with the Young Scientist Award by the former President of India, Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam.
Thakur has made innovative contributions in areas such as explosive materials, blast mitigation systems, gas-driven shock tubes, blast panels, and Anthropomorphic Test Devices (ATDs). One of his patents was granted in 2023, and he has also played a key role in studying human body impacts during blast tests conducted in the United States.
Rakesh Thakur hails from the small village of Mamail in Karsog, District Mandi, Himachal Pradesh. He has been serving in the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) for the past 21 years and is currently designated as Scientist ‘F’. His family also has a proud tradition of service to the nation — his elder brother serves as a Colonel in the Indian Army.
