Obituary

Abstract

The news that Dr. D.S.N Raju, former Deputy General Manager (DGM) of Oil and Natural Gas Commission (ONGC), Dehradun, a renowned micropaleontologist and biostratigrapher left for heavenly abode on 11 th May 2021, was a shock to one and all who knew him. A great teacher, scholar and a passionate geologist, Dr. D.S.N. Raju died at his Rajahmundry residence after a brief illness. He was a kind hearted and wonderful person with never-ending curiosity for geological studies. With his dedication and hard work, he determined to leave his legacy summarized in books, charts and papers to the next generations and he succeeded in this to a large extent. Till the time he could move around, he was collaborating with Professors and Scientists across the globe at his personal lab working tirelessly on Lexicon (INDPLEX) for the geological formations on Indian sedimentary basins. He was addicted to micropaleontology till his last breath. His contributions in geological studies will continue to guide hydrocarbon exploration in the Indian basins for a long time to come.Born on 01.07.1938 at Yelurupadu in West Godavari district, Andhra Pradesh, he was the second son of Lt. Mr. Datla Venkatanarasimha Raju and Lt. Mrs. Datla Buchirajaiah. Dr. D.S.N. Raju had his earlier education at Yelurupadu and topped the SSLC exam and intermediate in the DNR College at Bhimavaram. He desired to study philosophy and secured a seat in Santiniketan (Kolkata). However, as destiny would determine, his family members weighed in and changed his mind on the verge of boarding the train to Howrah at the Tadepalligudem railway station. Then, he applied for B.Sc. (Hons.