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<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nFor generations of Indian students, cracking JEE or NEET has often begun with two words printed on the cover of a book: Concepts of Physics.Long before online lectures, coaching apps and AI-powered study tools became common, students across the country relied on H.C. Verma’s books to understand mechanics, electricity, optics and modern physics. For many aspiring engineers and doctors, solving every problem in the two famous volumes became almost a rite of passage.But very few know the story behind the man who wrote them.Dr. Harish Chandra Verma, fondly known as H.C. Verma or simply HCV, did not set out to write India’s most famous physics textbook. He wrote it because he realised that one of the world’s best physics books simply wasn’t written for Indian students.<\/p>\n Born on April 3, 1952, in Darbhanga, Bihar, Harish Chandra Verma grew up in a family where education was deeply valued. His father was a school teacher, and Verma developed an early fascination with science.After completing his B.Sc. from Patna Science College, he went on to earn his M.Sc. and Ph.D. in Physics from IIT Kanpur.In 1980, he returned to Patna Science College as a lecturer. Every day, he taught undergraduate students using the internationally acclaimed Resnick and Halliday physics textbook.He admired the book for its scientific depth and clarity. Yet something kept bothering him.Many bright students struggled to connect with the examples, language and style of explanation. The textbook assumed a classroom environment and life experiences very different from those of students coming from small towns and villages across India.The problem wasn’t intelligence.The problem was communication.<\/p>\n Instead of complaining about the lack of a suitable textbook, Verma decided to create one himself.Years of classroom teaching helped him understand exactly where Indian students got confused, what misconceptions they carried, and how concepts could be explained more naturally.The result was Concepts of Physics, first published in 1992.Unlike many textbooks that focused heavily on formulas, H.C. Verma encouraged students to ask why before learning how.Simple language. Real-life examples. Carefully designed illustrations. Thought-provoking questions. And numerical problems that tested understanding rather than memorisation. The formula worked.Within a few years, the book became one of the most recommended physics texts for JEE aspirants. Eventually, it also became a favourite among NEET aspirants, Olympiad students and engineering undergraduates.Today, countless coaching institutes across India still recommend it as one of the best books to build conceptual clarity.<\/p>\n In 1994, Verma joined IIT Kanpur as a faculty member, where he spent more than two decades teaching and conducting research in experimental nuclear physics.Alongside teaching, he published 139 research papers, contributing significantly to his field.But even as a professor at one of India’s premier engineering institutions, he never lost sight of his first passion\u2014making physics easier for ordinary students.Many of his lectures, demonstrations and classroom sessions continue to be freely available online, helping students far beyond IIT Kanpur.<\/p>\n H.C. Verma believed that science should not depend on expensive laboratory equipment.To make physics accessible to every classroom, he developed more than 600 low-cost physics experiments using everyday materials that teachers could easily replicate.In 2011, he helped establish the National Anveshika Network of India (NANI) under the Indian Association of Physics Teachers (IAPT).The initiative encourages hands-on science learning and now supports learning centres across different parts of the country, helping teachers make physics more interactive and enjoyable.<\/p>\n Even after retiring from IIT Kanpur in 2017, Verma chose not to step away from education.Instead, he devoted more time to Shiksha Sopan, an educational initiative he co-founded near the IIT Kanpur campus.The organisation supports children from economically weaker families by providing academic assistance, mentoring and learning opportunities. Over the years, it has benefited hundreds of students and families.His belief has always been simple: quality education should reach those who need it the most.<\/p>\nA brilliant American textbook inspired him\u2014but also exposed a problem
<\/h3>\n<\/p>\nHe didn’t translate the book. He built one from scratch.
<\/h3>\n<\/p>\nFrom Patna to IIT Kanpur
<\/h3>\n<\/p>\nMaking physics affordable\u2014and enjoyable
<\/h3>\n<\/p>\nEducation beyond classrooms
<\/h3>\n<\/p>\nA Padma Shri\u2014and the gratitude of millions
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