RECENT RESEARCH Simultaneous ferromagnetism and ferroelectricity in elemental Selenium Multifunctional materials in which ferromagnetism and ferroelectricity not only coexist but are intrinsically coupled are of great technological interest and have generated intense research. The mutually exclusive nature of ferromagnetism and ferroelectricity is ascribed to symmetry restrictions as well as conflicting chemical requirements. In most of the known multiferroic systems, magnetism and ferroelectricity originate from different sublattices (e.g., in BiFeO3) or functional groups and are therefore weakly coupled. In this context, our observation that magnetic and ferroelectric orders coexist in elemental, single crystalline Selenium microtubes below 40K is very significant. The onset of the bi-ferroic ordering appears to be triggered by an order-disorder transition. This is the first time that multiferroicity has been observed in a simple element. A first-principles theoretical analysis reveals that this unexpected multiferroic behavior originates from Se being a weak topological insulator. It thus exhibits stable electronic states at its surface, and magnetism emerges from their spin polarization. Awards & Recognitions Elected Fellow of the Indian National Science Academy (2015) National Research Award in Nanoscience and Technology (2010) Materials Research Society of India Medal (2004) N S Satya Murthy Memorial Award of the Indian Physics Association for original contribution to Physics by an Indian scientist below 35 (1991) Indian Physical Society Award at the 8th National Young Physicist's Colloquium (1990) University Gold Medals for standing First in B.Sc. and M.Sc. examinations