Minoo Dosabhai headed the Software Promotion Centre (SPC) and Hardware Division during the formative years of NCST. He also worked as the chief engineer, managing all engineering responsibilities of NCST including campus development and maintenance. Because of his work, we had a very well-designed campus in Juhu when we started out there in 1986.
Consultants who had
supported users of NCST computers were from the Software Promotion Centre. They
helped thousands of students and hundreds of advanced course participants do
their work on computers.
I gratefully remember the work done by
Minooji’s Division in setting up and maintaining the computer systems and
software used by the ERNET. NCST’s Networks Division played a key role in this
nation-wide project. ERNET, with the support of SPC, had set up an email link
between NCST and IIT Bombay, in 1986. The project connected India to the
Internet in 1988; this was a full seven years before VSNL entered the field in
1995. The cooperation between staff of the ERNET project and the SPC is one of
my happiest memories of that era!
Minooji had helped me learn using the
CDC-3600 in 1964-5 at TIFR. I was then working at TIFR as an intern, doing my M
Tech project. The Institute was expecting a big computer at that time, the
CD-3600. Dr PVS Rao and Minooji were creating the massive infrastructure
required by the machine. I was happy to lend a helping hand occasionally.
Minooji was a soft-spoken gentleman, always
cheerful, and helpful. They don’t make them like him anymore!
Minooji passed away on 19th January 2023. He leaves behind his wife and two daughters.
Srinivasan Ramani
