In 1930, First Indian, Asian to win Nobel prize in any branch of
science, C V Raman, discovered the phenomenon of inelastic scattering of light, now known as Raman effect. Under British colonized India, he left his government job to be the first Palit Chair at Calcutta University, established his lab against all odds, pursuing his independent research on light and diverse areas, including acoustics of Indian musical systems.
He also became the first Director of Indian Institute of Sciences, Bangalore in 1933; and founder of his own Raman Research Institute. Explaining basic natural phenomenon as why sky is blue and colour of sea and oceans; by discovering low intensity vibrational modes, a unique signature for every molecule, he led the development of Raman Spectroscopy to identify materials and understand fundamental interactions at molecular level.
The technique much used even today to understand molecular processes, identification of different materials (including biomaterials and nanomaterials), used even for medical diagnostics including tumour cells in cancer patients. As a mentor too, he led an illustrious group of students, such as GN Ramachandran, Vikram Sarabhai to path breaking research, building scientists and institutions who then contributed to national growth with scientific and technological self-reliance, for decades to come.
As fate would be, in October 1970, he collapsed in his lab due to cardiac arrest. Though doctor gave him few hours, he spent next few days meeting students, and board of management of his institution, passing away on 21st November 1970. Awarded numerous awards and fellowship of various national and
international scientific academies, including Bharat Ratna, and Lenin peace prize.
He led the resurgence of experimental science, during transformation from being British colony to independent India; contributing at international level and leaving a rich legacy of scientists and institution builders to take Indian science forward with global impact and recognitions.
