London, England, UK: Indian-origin astronomer Shri Kulkarni has been awarded the Gold Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society, the highest honour conferred by the UK-based institution. Established in 1824, the Gold Medal recognises exceptional contributions to astronomy and geophysics and is regarded as one of the most prestigious awards in global astrophysics.

The Royal Astronomical Society cited Kulkarni for his “sustained, innovative and ground-breaking contributions to multi-wavelength transient astrophysics,” a field that studies short-lived and rapidly changing cosmic events. Born in Maharashtra, he completed his masters degree at IIT Delhi and earned his PhD from the University of California, Berkeley. His work has played a central role in shaping modern time-domain astronomy.

Over a career spanning more than four decades, Kulkarni has been behind several landmark discoveries, including the co-discovery of the first millisecond pulsar, the identification of the first brown dwarf, and proof that gamma-ray bursts originate beyond the Milky Way. He also led major sky-survey projects such as the Palomar Transient Factory and the Zwicky Transient Facility, which revolutionised the observation of transient cosmic phenomena. The RAS Gold Medal places him among an elite group of scientists who have fundamentally transformed our understanding of the evolving universe.