Subray V Bhat earned his PhD in 1974 from the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore. After serving as an Assistant Director of Forensic Science Laboratory, Bangalore for a year, he proceeded to U.S.A. for post doctoral research. He returned to IISc in 1979 and has been with the Institute since then. He served as the Chairman, Department of Physics, from November 1997 to March 2002, and as the Dean, Faculty of Science, IISc, during 2006-2008. He superannuated as a distinguished Professor in 2010 and presently is continuing as a National Academy of Sciences, Senior Scientist Platinum Jubilee Fellow.

Prof Bhat has made significant contributions to experimental condensed matter physics, especially using local probes like electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). He is credited with many “firsts” in his research work, including, the first observation of the phenomenon of non-resonant microwave and r.f. absorption in the high Tc superconductors, observation for the first time, anomalous behaviours of EPR spin Hamiltonian parameters in charge ordering manganites which provide important insights into the mechanism of charge/orbital ordering, and first experimental observation of an unusual ‘equipartition’ of currents in parallel superconducting paths. The latter modifies the text book wisdom of inductance-determined-division of super currents. His work on vitrification of water shows that it is possible to access the so called “No Man’s Land” in the phase diagram of water. He also provided evidence for co-existence of two phases in supercooled water. Another noteworthy result reported by his group is that most charge ordered, antiferromagnetic manganites turn ferromagnetic at nanoscale.

Though Prof. Bhat’s PhD work was in the area of NMR studies, he began working in EPR while at the University of Florida and pursued it in full vigour after his return to the India. Now he is recognized as one of the leaders of the field. He has served as a Council member, a Vice President and the President of the Asia-Pacific EPR Society and is the Founder President of Electron Magnetic Resonance Society of India. Prof. Bhat was a visitor at the University of Bordeux, France and University of Washington, Seattle. He was a visiting Professor at the University of Queensland at Brisbane and the Monash University, Melbourne, Australia.

Prof. Bhat was awarded the Materials Research Society of India Medal in 1994 and was selected for the Prestigious Prof. Y.T. Thathachari research award in science for the year 2001. He is also an elected FELLOW of the Indian Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Sciences and the Indian national Science Academy.