Bharat Ratna Scientist CNR Rao Gets SIR Notice Over Extra ‘F’ in Name

Bharat Ratna awardee and renowned scientist Professor CNR Rao has received a notice to appear for an identity hearing after a spelling discrepancy in his name was flagged during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Karnataka.

The issue reportedly arose because of a minor difference between entries in the old and current electoral rolls. While the earlier electoral roll listed his name as “Prof CNR Rao”, the current record reportedly mentions it as “Proff CNR Rao”, with an additional “f”. The discrepancy was categorised as a “self-name mismatch” in the notice issued to the 92-year-old scientist.

Under the SIR process, a self-name mismatch can arise when details used by an elector from an older electoral roll do not exactly match the information recorded in the current electoral roll. In this case, the spelling difference in the title before CNR Rao’s name reportedly triggered the verification process.

Professor Rao has been asked to appear for a hearing in Malleshwaram, near the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) in Bengaluru, to establish his identity. Only the person named in the notice is permitted to appear for the hearing.

CNR Rao is among India’s most distinguished scientists and is internationally known for his contributions to solid-state and structural chemistry. He was awarded the Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian honour, and has also received the Padma Shri, Padma Vibhushan and Karnataka Ratna.

Apart from his scientific work, Rao has played a significant role in shaping India's science policy. He served on the Scientific Advisory Council to former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and later headed scientific advisory councils under several Prime Ministers.

He also previously led the Indian Institute of Science and founded the Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research in Bengaluru.

The notice over a single-letter spelling difference has drawn attention because it involves one of India’s most celebrated scientists, highlighting how minor discrepancies in official records can trigger identity verification during electoral roll revisions.