2. SIR C.V. RAMAN - THE GREAT SCIENTIST

Modern India has produced many scientists who have glorified their motherland in many fields of science. We are not likely to forget the great achievements of the scientists like Jagdish Chandra Bose, Dr Birbal Sahni, S.S. Bhatnagar, Meghnad Saha and Homi J. Bhabha. But Chandrashekhar Venkat Raman holds unique position among the great scientists of India who brought laurels to India through his contribution and made himself world famous. In 1928, Raman was awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics for his discovery known by the name of ‘Ram an Effect’.

Raman was born on November 7, 1888 at Tiruchirapalli in Tamil Nadu. Shri Chandrashekhar Iyyer, his father was a teacher of Physics. Raman passed his matriculation examination in first division at the age of only twelve years. He did his graduation in 1904. In 1907, he passed his M.Sc. examination in Physics securing highest marks and for this extraordinary performance he was awarded a gold medal,

Since his childhood Raman had been a very inquisitive boy. He would not accept anything unless he was fully convinced. He wanted to know why and how of everything. He was a very patient boy who hated gossip and idle talk. He was always busy pondering over the basis of one or the other idea and reasoning about it like Socrates. He would think about the sky, the rain, the rainbow and the clouds. He would think about these for hours. This inquisitiveness helped him in making his discovery about the effect of colours in these natural phenomena. The discovery known as ‘Raman Effect’ was made in 1928 and the same year he was awarded Nobel Prize for it. It made him famous all over the world and astonished the scientists.

Raman was the first Indian scientist to win the Nobel Prize for Physics. He was knighted by the British after that. In 1954, after independence, the Indian Govermnent honoured him with Bharat Ratna. In 1958, the Government of the U.S.S.R. presented him Lenin Prize for Peace. This great scientist passed away on November 21, 1970. But he will always be remembered for his contribution to science.
_______________