Immersed in intellectual ideas and propelled by a profound passion for Physics, C V Raman was the face of India’s scientific prowess. His endeavors in research led to the discovery of ‘Raman Effect’ named so in his honour.
Born and brought up in a scientifically inclined family, Raman showed early signs of a genius. Being a precocious child, he won many accolades from his teachers and elders. They saw in him a diligent erudite student. It is also interesting to note that C V Raman was the paternal uncle of Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar, another gem of India and Physics Nobel Prize winner. C V Raman is known to have designed a dynamo when he was just a child. This event was a proof of his immense calibre.
On his flight to London over the Mediterranean sea, Raman’s curiosity was stimulated and he was intrigued to research about the reason for the blue colour of the sea. With simple and beautiful experiments and intense studies, he came to the conclusion that the answer was more than the reflection of blue sky, as proposed earlier. His studies led to ‘Raman Effect’ or ‘Raman scattering’ which brought to India our first Noble Prize in Physics.
Even though he went on to work as an assistant Accountant General, he kept his scientific fire burning. He worked with IACS (Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science) in Calcutta and did some of his major experiments there. He always believed in the beauty of science and said that
“Success can come to you if you have courageous devotion to the work lying in front of you.”
He was the first Indian, Asian and non-white to have received noble prize in any of the sciences. He was also awarded ‘Bharatratna’ the highest civilian honour of India. He also received Franklin medal and Lenin Peace Prize among other laurels. He was also knighted as an acknowledgement of his merit. His discovery of Raman Effect on 28th February, 1928 is celebrated as National Science Day in India.
Though he was brilliant in optics and the study of light fascinated him, he also explored other fields of science like acoustics and the science behind music. His studies on Indian drums was the first scientific analysis of traditional Indian percussion. He was the first Indian director of IISc which continues to be an unparalleled place for science research. He founded Raman Research Institute and established Indian Academy of Science, which he led till his death.
C V Raman was the glorious sun who brought a new dawn to India’s science ventures. He marked the beginning of a new era and illuminated the way for generations to come.
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