10 Most Famous Indian Scientist
India is home to many great scientists, who have made significant contributions to various fields of science. Not just that, Indian scientists are also making their presence felt all over the world with their research work.
From being at the forefront of discoveries with revolutionary ideas to taking risks and breaking new ground, some of them have etched their names in golden letters in the history books of India and are celebrated by the people with love and respect.
In this article, we learn about the 10 famous Indian Scientists who have left a never fading impact on science and society as a whole.
Indian scientist and statistician Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis was born on June 29, 1893. He conducted groundbreaking anthropometry research in India.
He contributed to the creation of large-scale sample surveys and formed the Indian Statistical Institute. Mahalanobis has earned the title of “father of modern statistics” in India thanks to his achievements.
In order to determine how much a point deviates from a distribution based on measurements in multiple dimensions, one of the most popular metrics is the Mahalanobis distance.
Cluster analysis and classification make extensive use of it. Mahalanobis first put up the idea in 1930 as part of his investigation of racial similarity.
Sample survey
Mahalanobis’ most significant contributions concern extensive sample surveys. He developed the idea of pilot studies and promoted the use of sampling techniques.
Mahalanobis held a number of regional and global portfolios. In addition to being named the honorary statistical adviser to the government of India in 1949, he presided over the United Nations Sub-Commission on Sampling from 1947 to 1951.
Jagadish Chandra Bose was born in Mymensingh, Bengal, India, on November 30, 1858. (now in Bangladesh). was a biologist, physicist, and botanist.
He made substantial contributions to botany, was a driving factor in the development of experimental science in the Indian subcontinent, and was a pioneer in the study of radio microwave optics.
Microwave radio research
Following the 1894 publication of British physicist Oliver Lodge’s demonstrations on how to broadcast and detect radio waves, Bose developed an interest in radio waves.
He put up his equipment and started his own research in the new. He was able to lower the waves to the millimeter level to examine the light-like qualities of radio waves, which were difficult to research using lengthy radio waves.
Plant Research
The Mimosa pudica and Desmodium gyrans plants served as the subject of the majority of Bose’s plant research experiments.
His most important contribution to biophysics was the proof of the electrical character of the conduction of various stimuli (such as wounds, chemical agents, etc.) in plants, which was previously believed to be of a chemical origin.
Despite everything that he accomplished in designing the wireless technology that would eventually bind the world together, Bose is hardly regarded as a radio pioneer.
He didn’t like patenting innovation and considered it as a gift to humanity, and he appeared pleased to let others capitalize on his work.
Saha was born to a low-income family residing in the undivided Indian village of Seoratali, Dhaka. His family survived on a grocery store, so his parents preferred him to help in the shop after his primary education.
The middle school was 10km away, and he didn’t have the means to get schooling. Fortunately, a local doctor Ananta Kumar Das came to his rescue and agreed to provide free boarding and lodging in his house.
Little did Dr Das know that this 12-year-old would one day contribute prominently to every aspect of scientific study in India.
Saha’s Theory of Thermal Ionisation
One of India’s most important contributions to world science during the twentieth century was Saha’s theory of thermal ionisation. It is said to be a game-changing discovery explaining stellar spectra’ origin.
The Saha ionisation equation expresses the relationship between the ionisation state of a gas in thermal equilibrium and temperature and pressure.
The equation was developed by combining ideas from quantum mechanics and statistical mechanics, and it is used to explain star spectral classification.
India’s First Nuclear Teacher
Saha was the first to include a nuclear physics syllabus in MSc at Calcutta University in 1940. He was a driving force behind the formation of several scientific societies in India, including prominent names like the National Academy of Science, the Indian Physical Society, and the Indian Institute of Science.
From 1953 to 1956, he served as the Director of the Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science. He is commemorated by the Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics, founded in 1943 in Kolkata.
The English astronomer and physicist Arthur Stanley Eddington ranked Saha’s Equation as the tenth most important discovery in astronomy and astrophysics since Galileo invented the telescope in 1608.
His contributions to other fields, such as selective spectroscopy, solar corona, solar radio emission, molecular dissociation, radio wave propagation in the ionosphere, radiation pressure, and beta radioactivity, are extensively recognized in the scientific community.
Vikram Sarabhai was a famous Indian scientist who made significant contributions to the fields of space research and space technology. He was also known for his work in the development of the Sarabhai Space Centre, which is now one of India’s leading space research facilities.
Vikram Sarabhai was born in 1920 in a small village in Gujarat, and he became interested in science at an early age. After completing his undergraduate studies at Bombay University, he went on to study at the University of Cambridge, where he earned his doctorate in physics in 1945.
Most Notable work
India’s Space Program
Sarabhai felt that India needed its own space agency following the launch of Russia’s Sputnik satellite. He persuaded the government of India to launch the Indian Space Research Organization, the country’s own space programme (Isro).
Initiating a project that would eventually result in the construction of India’s first artificial satellite circling the earth.
India’s Nuclear Program
Sarabhai was chosen to lead the Atomic Energy Commission of India when Bhabha passed away in 1966.
Sarabhai continued Bhabha’s efforts in the area of nuclear research and played a significant role in the creation of India’s nuclear power facilities. Additionally, Sarabhai established the framework for domestic nuclear technology development for defense applications.
Sarabhai’s work in space research helped to pave the way for India’s current role as a major player in the field of space exploration. Vikram Sarabhai was a truly remarkable man, and his legacy will long be remembered.
C.V. Raman (Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman) is one of the most famous Indian scientists of all time. He was born in Tiruchirappalli, Southern India on November 7, 1888.
His father taught physics and mathematics, therefore he was raised in an academic environment from an early age.
He enrolled in Presidency College in Madras in 1902, and after passing his B.A. examination in 1904 and winning the gold medal in physics, he earned his M.A. in 1907 with the highest honors.
Musical sound
Raman has a keen interest in the underlying science of music. Between 1916 and 1921, he released a tonne of work based on his discoveries.
He created a theory based on the superposition of velocities that describes the transverse vibration of bowed string instruments.
Beginning in 1919, Raman began to research light scattering as part of his expanding optical venture. The blue hue of seawater was his ground-breaking initial finding in light physics.
Ultimately, he concluded that the intrinsic color of the water is primarily due to the selective absorption of longer wavelengths of light in the red and orange regions of the spectrum, caused by overtones of the infrared-absorbing O-H (oxygen and hydrogen combined) stretching modes of water molecules.
Raman Effect:
Raman received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1930 for his study into light scattering and the discovery of the Raman effect.
“Raman scattering” or “Raman effect” refers to the inelastic scattering of a photon. The Raman spectroscopy methodology is based on this phenomenon.
Raman’s work has made him a household name around India, and he is still considered one of the most important scientists of his era.
Raman was also a great ambassador for India – he frequently traveled abroad to share his research and speak with other scientists. He was a true pioneer in the field of science, and his contributions to society will be remembered for years to come.
Born to a ferry owner on 15 October 1931 in Rameshwaram, Tamil Nadu, Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam is a prominent name in Indian aerospace.
Kalam’s early life was full of struggles. At a tender age, he used to sell newspapers to add to his family’s income. In his early years of education, he was an average student determined to work hard for his high aspirations.
Leaded India’s First Satellite Launch
Kalam’s contribution to space research programs labelled him the Missile Man of India. After joining the Indian Space Research Organisation in 1969, Dr Kalam worked for more than a decade as the Project Director for the ISRO’s development of India’s Satellite Launch Vehicle, which led to one of the most significant scientific developments for the indigenous satellite launch vehicle (SLV).
Indigenous Ballistic Missiles Program
Working with DRDO, he administered the Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme(IGMDP). Under his leadership, IGMDP successfully developed five missiles named as- prithvi, agni, trushul, Akash and Nag. Dr Kalam envisioned the collaboration between India and Russia, which led to the formation of BharaMos Aerospace.
Dr Kalam’s excellency is highly admired in every Indian household. His philosophy of simple living and high thinking continues to inspire people.
He made a significant contribution to the development of India in critical areas, including science, defense, and health. He was an excellent teacher, scientist, author, and public speaker.
Homi Bhabha, whose full name is Homi Jehangir Bhabha, was born on October 30, 1909, in Bombay, India. He was an Indian physicist and the main brain behind his nation’s nuclear energy program.
Bhabha enrolled in the University of Cambridge in 1927 intending to study mechanical engineering, but he quickly became very interested in physics. He began his research at the Cavendish Laboratories in Cambridge in 1930, and in 1935 he earned his doctorate.
Research on Atomic energy in India
At the time Homi Jehangir Bhabha worked in India, the country lacked institutions required for deep research in nuclear physics, high energy physics, and other physics frontiers.
It is due to his relentless efforts that in 1954, the Atomic Energy Establishment Trombay (AEET) began operations. The Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) was also established in the same year.
Nuclear power program
Bhabha is widely regarded as the father of Indian nuclear power. In addition, he is credited with coming up with a plan to concentrate on using the country’s abundant thorium reserves rather than its scant uranium reserves to generate electricity. But sadly he couldn’t take his plans to fruition due to sudden and unfortunate death.
There are various institutes in India named after him. Many new nuclear programs are started after his name. Bhaba is an inspiration to millions of Indians and his legacy is such that can not be forgotten for millennia.
Jagadish Chandra Bose was born in Mymensingh, Bengal, India, on November 30, 1858. (now in Bangladesh). was a biologist, physicist, and botanist.
He made substantial contributions to botany, was a driving factor in the development of experimental science in the Indian subcontinent, and was a pioneer in the study of radio microwave optics.
Microwave radio research
Following the 1894 publication of British physicist Oliver Lodge’s demonstrations on how to broadcast and detect radio waves, Bose developed an interest in radio waves.
He put up his equipment and started his own research in the new. He was able to lower the waves to the millimeter level to examine the light-like qualities of radio waves, which were difficult to research using lengthy radio waves.
Plant Research
The Mimosa pudica and Desmodium gyrans plants served as the subject of the majority of Bose’s plant research experiments.
His most important contribution to biophysics was the proof of the electrical character of the conduction of various stimuli (such as wounds, chemical agents, etc.) in plants, which was previously believed to be of a chemical origin.
Despite everything that he accomplished in designing the wireless technology that would eventually bind the world together, Bose is hardly regarded as a radio pioneer.
He didn’t like patenting innovation and considered it as a gift to humanity, and he appeared pleased to let others capitalize on his work.
On August 2, 1866, Prafulla Chandra Ray was born in Calcutta, India. He was a renowned Indian chemist who was also an industrialist, historian, educator, and philanthropist.
He is revered as the founder of chemical science in India and created the country’s first post-classical research school in chemistry.
The stable compound Mercurous nitrite
Prafulla Chandra began his highly successful work in the realm of nitrite chemical research about 1895.
He released a paper in 1896 detailing the creation of mercurous nitrite, a novel stable chemical molecule. This finding paved the path for several studies on nitrites and hyponitrites.
India’s first pharmaceutical company
Prafulla Chandra Ray established Bengal Chemical Works in 1892. Ray started the business on his initiative to encourage the youth of Bengal to be entrepreneurial and to offer them an alternative to working for the colonial British administration.
The business displayed its herbal products at the Kolkata Indian Medical Congress in 1893.
Ray was a passionate patriot who had seen how the British oppression of Indian society had caused it to deteriorate.
He would arrange for the revolutionaries’ food and shelter in his factories. He is described as a “Revolutionary dressed as a Scientist” in historical government documents.
Indian mathematician and physicist Satyendra Nath Bose was born in Calcutta, India, on January 1, 1894. He is well-known for his collaboration with Albert Einstein.
Bose is a University of Calcutta graduate. From 1918 through 1956, Bose authored a large number of scientific papers that had a significant impact on science.
Einstein approached Bose for assistance as a result of his Planck’s Law and the Hypothesis of Light Quanta (1924) publications.
Bose–Einstein statistics:
Bose prepared a brief paper titled “Planck’s Law and the Hypothesis of Light Quanta” and mailed it to Albert Einstein.
In agreement with him, Einstein had Bose’s writings translated into German and published in Zeitschrift für Physik in 1924 under Bose’s name. Bose’s interpretation is now called Bose–Einstein statistics and this particular finding of Bose laid the foundation for quantum statistics.
Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) is a state of matter where distinct atoms or subatomic particles condense into a single quantum mechanical entity—that is, one that can be represented by a wave function—on a nearly macroscopic scale, is a result of cooling to close to absolute zero.
Albert Einstein made this prediction about this type of substance in 1924 based on Satyendra Nath Bose’s quantum formulations.
Although he was nominated for the Nobel Prize, he did not receive the honor. But Bose was not upset because, for him, having his name immortalized in the language of the field was far more fulfilling than winning a Nobel.
Srinivasa Ramanujan was an Indian scientist who is famous for his contributions to mathematics. He is considered to be one of the greatest mathematicians of all time, and is often referred to as the “Prince of mathematicians”.
Ramanujan was born in 1887 in a village in southern India, and he died in 1920 at the age of 32 due to a fever. Despite his short life, Ramanujan made many significant contributions to mathematics.
Ramanujan wrote a paper titled “On certain arithmetical functions,” which was published in 1916. In the article, Ramanujan looked into the characteristics of the modular forms’ Fourier coefficients.
Even though the theory of modular forms had not yet been created at the time, he proposed three key hypotheses that acted as a foundation for its development.
Circle Method
The circle method was created by Ramanujan and G. H. Hardy, and it provided the first approximations for the division of numbers greater than 200.
The 20th century saw significant progress in solving notoriously challenging issues like Waring’s conjecture and other additive puzzles, partly thanks to this approach. One of the main methods used in analytical number theory today is the circle approach.
Ramanujan’s work is still being studied and explored today, and his contributions to mathematics are still being used by mathematicians around the world.
He is also considered one of the most influential Indian intellectuals of all time, and his legacy will continue to be felt for years to come.
Vikram Sarabhai was a famous Indian scientist who made significant contributions to the fields of space research and space technology. He was also known for his work in the development of the Sarabhai Space Centre, which is now one of India’s leading space research facilities.
Vikram Sarabhai was born in 1920 in a small village in Gujarat, and he became interested in science at an early age. After completing his undergraduate studies at Bombay University, he went on to study at the University of Cambridge, where he earned his doctorate in physics in 1945.
India’s Space Program
Sarabhai felt that India needed its own space agency following the launch of Russia’s Sputnik satellite. He persuaded the government of India to launch the Indian Space Research Organization, the country’s own space programme (Isro).
Initiating a project that would eventually result in the construction of India’s first artificial satellite circling the earth.
India’s Nuclear Program
Sarabhai was chosen to lead the Atomic Energy Commission of India when Bhabha passed away in 1966.
Sarabhai continued Bhabha’s efforts in the area of nuclear research and played a significant role in the creation of India’s nuclear power facilities. Additionally, Sarabhai established the framework for domestic nuclear technology development for defense applications.
Sarabhai’s work in space research helped to pave the way for India’s current role as a major player in the field of space exploration. Vikram Sarabhai was a truly remarkable man, and his legacy will long be remembered.
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