P.C.MAHALANOBIS, IN FULL PRASANTA CHANDRA MAHALANOBIS, (BORN JUNE 29, 1893, CALCUTTA [NOW KOLKATA] INDIA --DIED JUNE 28, 1972, CALCUTTA), INDIAN STATSTICIAN WHO DEVISED THE MAHALANOBIS DISTANCE AND WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN FORMULATING INDIA'S STRATEGY FOR INDUSTRIALIZATION IN THE SECOND FIVE-YEAR PLAN(1956-61).
BORN TO AN ACADEMICALLY ORIENTED FAMILY , MAHALANOBIS PURSUED HIS EARLY EDUCATION IN CALCUTTA (NOW KOLKATA).AFTER GRADUTING WITH HONOURS IN PHYSICS FROM PRESIDENSY COLLEGE, KOLKATA IN
1912, HE MOVED TO ENGLAND TO STUDY PHYSICS AND MATHEMATICS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE. JUST BEFORE MAHANALOBIS LEFT THE UNIVERSITY IN 1915, HE WAS INTRODUCED TO STATISTICS BY BY ONE OF HIS TUTORS. WHEN HE RETURNED TO INDIA, HE ACCEPTED A TEMPORARY POSITION TEACHING PHYSICS AT PRESIDENSY COLLEGE, AND HE BECOME A PROFESSOR OF PHYSICS THERE IN 1922.HE SERVED AS THE CHAIRMAN OF THE UNITED NATIONS SUB-COMMISSION FROM 1947 TO 1951 AND WAS APPOINTED THE HONORARY STATISTICAL ADVISER TO THE GOVERNMENT OF INDIA IN 1949. FOR HIS POINEERING WORK, HE WAS AWARDED THE PADMA VIBHUSHAN, ONE OF INDIA'S HONOURS, BY THE INDIAN GOVERNMENT IN 1968.
