It is 100% true that scientists should get more recognition and respect for what they do, and have been doing for the human race. Particularly in India, we know about celebrities but not the actual celebrities that contributed to our lives, yes, we are talking about Scientists. But still, there were quite a few names throughout Indian history that made it big because of their BIG work in the scientific field. And today’s post is all about these top 10 famous Indian scientists of all time. So, let’s get started.
1. C.V. Raman
Chandrashekhara Venkata Raman or C.V. Raman for short, was born in Tiruchirapalli on November 7, 1888. But what did he do in the scientific field that he is respected so much? Well, he is famous for the Raman Effect, which is a groundbreaking work in light scattering. In 1930, he won the Nobel Prize in Physics for showing that light changes wavelength when it goes through a clear substance. That was something people didn’t know at that time, especially the scientists, and this discovery changed the way scientists study how light and matter interact.
2. Homi J. Bhabha
Homi Jehangir Bhabha, who was born on October 30, 1909, in Bombay, is known as the “father of India’s nuclear program.” Well, let’s be clear from the start if it wasn’t for this man, India would not have become a nuclear country, and we’d still be considered a weak nation overall in the geopolitical scene. He made a big impact on India’s science community, but how? Well, you see, Homi J. Bhabha went to Cambridge and became famous around the world for his work on cosmic radiation. In 1945, he started the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), and in 1948, he went on the way to lead the way in making the Atomic Energy Commission of India.
3. Srinivasa Ramanujan
The story of Srinivasa Ramanujan, who was born on December 22, 1887, in Erode, Tamil Nadu, always fascinated everyone who read about him. Why, though? Well, you see, he didn’t have any degree or anything like that, nor did he actually processed by the so-called “Education system,” but still, he went on to solve the most complex equations that nobody could at that time. That’s the very reason, he is known as one of the greatest scientists in history. Ramanujan made important additions to mathematical analysis, number theory, infinite series, and continued fractions even though he didn’t have much formal education.
4. Jagadish Chandra Bose
Jagadish Chandra Bose was born on November 30, 1858, in Mymensingh, which is now Bangladesh. He was a very smart person who did groundbreaking work in plant science, radio and microwave optics, and many other fields. Did you know that before Marconi, he was the first person to show that radio waves could be used for wireless contact? Bose created the crescograph, a tool for measuring plant growth that proved plants can react to outside stimuli.
5. Vikram Sarabhai
He was born in Ahmedabad on August 12, 1919, and is known as the “father of the Indian space program.” Because of his guidance, the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) was set up in 1969, and we all know what ISRO is and how important they have become, right? And yes, the launch of India’s first satellite, Aryabhata, in 1975 was made possible by Sarabhai’s idea. Besides that, he started the Physical Research Laboratory (PRL) and played a major role in setting up organizations such as the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIM-A).
6. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam, who is better known as A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, is for sure the one person that we cannot skip at any cost, and this list wouldn’t even be considered complete without mentioning him. Born in Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu, on October 15, 1931, Kalam had a very humble beginning but went on to become India’s “Missile Man” and the 11th President of India. And it is no secret that India became a world leader in space and military technology thanks to his important work on ballistic missiles and launch vehicle technology at DRDO and ISRO.
7. Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar
Did you know that Chandrasekhar won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1983 for his groundbreaking work on how stars are built and how they change over time? The Chandrasekhar Limit, which is his most famous addition, tells us how much mass a stable white dwarf star can have, which many scientists were skeptical of at first. Though, this has a huge impact on how we think about stellar physics. And just so you know, Chandrasekhar did a lot of research that included studying black holes and the safety of fluids.
8. Meghnad Saha
Meghnad Saha, born in Shaoratoli, Dhaka, on October 6, 1893, is credited with developing the Saha Ionization Equation, which is essential for comprehending stellar spectra and ionization states and establishing the foundation for astronomy. And no doubt, because Saha was so smart, he was able to get into Presidency College in Calcutta even though his early education was hard. And later on in life, his efforts went beyond science and played a big part in India’s scientific policy and education.
9. Har Gobind Khorana
Har Gobind Khorana is known for his research on the genetic code and protein synthesis, which won the Nobel Prize. He won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1968 for his work on nucleotides in nucleic acids, which was very important in learning how proteins are made, which, at that time, was a big discovery. And yes, Har Gobind Khorana made history at the University of Wisconsin by making the first fake gene, which changed the field of molecular biology forever.
10. Satyendra Nath Bose
And, did you know, it was Satyendra Nath Bose’s early work in quantum mechanics that laid the groundwork for the Bose-Einstein condensate and the Bose-Einstein statistics? Particles that adhere to the laws of Bose-Einstein statistics were discovered by Bose and Albert Einstein in a joint effort. Yes, those two great minds worked together, and that’s what made this duo successful. And yes, Satyendra Nath Bose even went on to make significant contributions to the field of theoretical physics and was instrumental in developing scientific research in India.
Conclusion
Sure, there have been so many Indian scientists with impactful work that changed the way we look at things forever. But undoubtedly, these 10 are by far the most famous ones, not just in India though, but all around the globe.
