IISc Professor Mahesh Kakde Wins 2026 Ramanujan Prize, Urges Rethink of Math Exams

Mahesh Kakde, a professor in the mathematics department of the Indian Institute of Science, has been awarded the 2026 Ramanujan Prize for his work in algebraic number theory. The award recognises his fundamental contributions to non‑commutative Iwasawa theory and to the Gross‑Stark and Brumer‑Stark conjectures, problems linked to Hilbert’s famous twelfth problem. Kakde, born in 1983 in Akola, Maharashtra, says he was drawn to mathematics early, solving textbook problems before his class covered the topics. In tenth grade he attended a workshop for teachers, met a professor who urged him to aim for the Math Olympiads and sent him textbooks that sparked his curiosity. He later wrote to the authors, one of whom suggested he study at the Chennai Mathematical Institute. He earned his bachelor’s degree in mathematics from the Indian Statistical Institute in Bengaluru, completed a Certificate of Advanced Study at Cambridge, and received his Ph.D. under John Coates at the University of Cambridge. After teaching stints at Princeton and King’s College London, he joined IISc in 2019 and has continued research on classical and non‑commutative Iwasawa theory and Stark’s conjectures. Kakde’s honors also include the 2022 Infosys Prize in Mathematics and the 2023 Whitehead Prize of the London Mathematical Society. He says the over‑reliance on multiple‑choice questions in university entrance exams discourages deep problem‑solving and creative thinking, even though NCERT textbooks contain many open‑ended problems. He worries that neither schools nor students are motivated to attempt those questions because admissions depend on MCQ‑based tests. Kakde also points out the persistent under‑representation of women in mathematics, calling it a universal issue, and cites European policies such as maternity‑leave safeguards that treat childcare breaks as normal career pauses as possible ways to improve gender balance in India. He notes that after independence, mathematical research and teaching were focused in a few centres, but the last quarter‑century has seen new institutes like IITs and IISERs emerge. Still, the number of institutions is low compared to India’s population, creating a “chicken‑and‑egg” situation where more trained mathematicians are needed to staff new centres, and new centres are needed to train more mathematicians.

Context

India’s long tradition of strong mathematicians dates back to figures such as Ramanujan. Recent growth of technical universities has broadened opportunities, but the dominance of MCQ‑driven entrance exams continues to shape how students engage with mathematics, influencing the future talent pool.