Introduction:

Dr. P.C. Mahalanobis was a renowned Indian statistician and economist who made significant contributions to the fields of statistics and economics. In this blog, we will discuss his life, achievements, and contributions under the following headings:

Early Life and Education:

P.C. Mahalanobis was born on June 29, 1893, in Calcutta (now Kolkata), India. He studied physics and mathematics at the Presidency College, Calcutta, and later went on to study at the University of London. He obtained a degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Cambridge.

Career

Dr. Mahalanobis's career spanned over five decades, during which he made significant contributions to the fields of statistics and economics. He founded the Indian Statistical Institute (ISI) in 1931, which remains one of India's premier research institutions. He also served as the president of the ISI from 1959 to 1961. He was a member of several prestigious organizations, including the Royal Statistical Society and the International Statistical Institute.

Achievements

Dr. Mahalanobis was a recipient of several prestigious awards and honours, including the Padma Vibhushan, India's second-highest civilian honour. He was also elected as a fellow of the Royal Society of London, the first Indian statistician to receive this honour. He was a prolific writer, and his books and articles on statistics and economics are widely read and respected.

Contributions to Statistics and Economics

Dr. Mahalanobis's contributions to the fields of statistics and economics are numerous and significant. He developed the Mahalanobis distance, a statistical measure of the distance between two points in a multivariate space. He also played a key role in India's economic planning and development, and his ideas on planning and development continue to influence policymakers and economists today.

Legacy

Dr. Mahalanobis's legacy lives on in the many scientific discoveries and advancements that he made, as well as in the many institutions and initiatives that he helped to establish. He continues to be an inspiration to statisticians, economists, and thinkers around the world, and his contributions to the fields of statistics and economics are widely recognized and celebrated.

Conclusion

Dr. P.C. Mahalanobis was a brilliant statistician and economist who made significant contributions to the fields of statistics and economics. His pioneering work laid the foundation for many scientific advancements that we enjoy today, and his legacy continues to inspire generations of statisticians, economists, and scholars. His contributions to statistics and economics have been particularly significant, and he remains a towering figure in these fields.