Glimpses into The Life and Works of J. Medhi

The book traces the life and works of Professor J. Medhi, who has not only made pioneering contributed in the field of Statistics, but also has played a pioneering role in establishing this branch of science in the North-East India. The author has described the travails and tribulations of Professor Mehdi and how by his sheer determination and perseverance he achieved so much even under adverse circumstance. The biography is aimed at not only students of statistics but also those who do not have a formal background in this field.

Professor C.K Chetia is a Founder member of the Department of Statistics, Dibrugarh University. He taught in the Departments of Petroleum Technology, Applied Geology, Life Sciences, Commerce and Economics of this University. Earlier, he taught in Sibsagar College, Assam. Professor Chetia has authored several research papers in statistics published in national and international journals of high repute. He has published four books on statistics at undergraduate and post-graduate levels in Assamese. He is a free-lance writer in newspaper and magazines.

For years I have cherished the idea of writing a biography of Professor Jyotiprasad Mehdi mainly for two reasons. First he has devoted his time and energy to lifelong research on both basic and applied Statistic and has been able to earn name and fame in India and abroad. Secondly his ceaseless perseverance in study and research has set an idel for the younger generation of talents to follow. Unless his biography is written, his life and work might be known only to the students and teachers of statistical sciences. Hence this biographical sketch.

My initial plan was to write the Assamese, but Professor Devdas Kakati, Former vice-Chancellor of Dibrugarh University, suggested that it should be written in English for a larger circulation. I gratefully accepted his suggestion and wrote in English. I requested Professor Kakati to write a Foreword of the book which he kindly consented to do. I take this opportunity to put on record my sense of indebtedness to him. I also owe a debt to Sri Sunil Kumar Borthakur, Former Principal, (and Head of the Department of English), M.D.K Girls’ College of Dibrugarh for going through the manuscript. I am also grateful to Professor Haren Choudhury of Gauhati University for his constant inspiration in my job, and specially for taking initiative for publication of this Biography, (as a Secretary) through the Trust for Popularisation and Development of statistics, Guwahati. To take up its publication, Dr. B.D. Acharya, Advisor, DST, Government of India and (through him) Vigyan Prasar, were approached-to which the response has been very very positive; I am very grateful to all those who helped us in this regard. My thanks are also due to Dr. Kishore Kumar Das. Of Gauhati University and Sri Niranjan Sharma for preparing the Typesetting of the Manuscript with great care.

It would not be out of place to mention here that professor Medhi does not enjoy being in the lime light. It is his nature to shun publicity. But in spite of his reluctance to answer some data queries regarding his personal life I could collect some data thereof. I thank him for his co-operation in this regard.

My wife Hema prova has taken an active and keen interest in the different stages of the progress of this book, which is largely responsible for its completion in time. I thank her for her help and timely suggestions.