THE GREAT EDUCATIONIST - SIR ASHUTOSH MOOKERJEE

Sir Ashutosh Mookerjee (1864-1924), CIE, Phd, Dsc, LLD was an Indian educator and Vice Chancellor of the University of Calcutta from 1906 to 1924. He was also responsible for the foundation of the Bengal Technical Institute in 1906 and the Calcutta UniversityCollege of Science in 1914.

Early life

Mookerjee's father was the well known doctor Ganga Prasad Mookerjee, who was also the founder of South Suburban School in Calcutta. He was born in the Bowbazar area of Calcutta and showed an early aptitude for mathematics. In 1883 he came first in the BA examination at Calcutta University and was awarded the Premchand-Roychand scholarship to complete a postgraduate degree in mathematics. Two years later he also acquired an MA in physics, making him the first student to be awarded a dual degree from Calcutta University. However, he turned down an offer of a job in the Department of Public Instruction in favour of completing his Bachelor of Law degree. Nevertheless, he continued to publish scholarly papers on issues in mathematics and physics, and was elected to the Senate of Calcutta University in 1889.

Career in law

Mookerjee dabbled in politics while practicing law, but gave it up when he was appointed as a judge of the Bngal High Court in 1904. He approached different people to raise funds for the establishment of the Calcutta University College of Science, which became the foremost institute of scientific education and research in the country. In 1906 he was appointed Vice Chancellor of Calcutta University

Contribution to education

Ashutosh Mookerji had a vision of the kind of education he wanted young people to have, and he had the acumen and courage to extract it from his colonial masters. He set up several new academic graduate programmes: comparative literature, anthropology, applied psychology, industrial chemistry, ancient Indian history and culture and Islamic culture. He also made arrangements for postgraduate teaching and research in Bengal,Hindi , and Sanskrit. The diverse range of subjects offered by Calcutta University is largely a result of his labour. Scholars from all over India, irrespective of race, caste, and gender, came to study and teach there. He even persuaded European scholars to teach at his university. He was one of the first persons to recognize the worth of Srinivasa Ramanujan.

Lord Curzon's education mission in 1902 identified the universities, and Calcutta University especially, as centres of sedition where young people formed networks of resistance to colonial domination. The cause of this was thought to be the unwise granting of autonomy to these universities in the nineteenth century. Thus in the period 1905 to 1935 the colonial administration tried to reinstate government control of education. In 1923, when Lord Lytton tried to impose conditions on his reappointment as Vice Chancellor, Mookerji indignantly refused the post. For his intransigence and academic integrity he was known as the Tiger of Bengal.

Other positions held

Mookerji was a member of the 1917-1919 sadler commission, presided over by Micheal Ernest Sadler, which inquired into the state of Indian education. He was three times president of the Asiatic Society,and in 1910 of the Imperial(Now National)Library Council. He donated his entire personal collection of 80,000 books to the Library and it is arranged in a separate section. He was the president of the inaugural session of the Indian Science Library in 1914. He was learned in Pali, French and Russian, and was awarded the titles of Saraswati and Shastravachaspati by the pandits of Bengal for his service to Indian education.

The epitah beneath his marble bust at the Ashutosh Museum of Arts at the University of Calcutta reads:

"His noblest achievement, surest of them all/ "A place for his mother tongue --- in stepmother's hall".

MADAM CURIE -THE RADIUM LADY

The Life Of Madame Curie
The Life of Madame Curie Madame Curie was born Maria Sklodowska on November 7,1867, in Warsaw Poland. Maria was the fifth and youngest child of Bronsilawa Boguska, a pianist, singer, and teacher, and Wladyslaw Sklodowski, a professor of mathematics and physics. Maria's accomplishments began at a young age; by the time she was sixteen she had completed secondary school and taken work as a teacher. In 1891 Maria went to Paris, while in Paris Marie attend Sorbonne University and began to follow lectures of many already well known physicists--Jean Perrin, Charles Maurain, and Aime' Cotton. It was during this time that Marie finally turned towards mathematics and physics. Within three years of attending Sorbonne Marie was already on her way to becoming the most well recognized women in science. Marie was the ideal example of hard work. Receiving her degree in physics from the Sorbonne in 1893, she was not only the first woman to receive such a degree but she graduated number one in her class. In 1894, she received her second degree in mathematics, graduating second in the class. That same year Marie met Pierre Curie, an aspiring French physicist. A year later Maria Sklodowska became Madame Curie. Marie and Pierre worked as a scientific team, in 1898 their achievements resulted in world importance, in particular the discovery of polonium (which Marie named in honor of Poland) and the discovery of Radium a few months later. The birth of her two daughters, Irene and Eve, in 1897 and 1904 did not interrupt Maria's work. In 1903, Curie became the first woman to win a Nobel Prize for Physics. The award jointly awarded to Curie, her husband Pierre, and Henri Becquerel, was for the discovery of radioactivity. In December 1904 she was appointed chief assistant in the laboratory directed by Pierre Curie. Pierre's sudden death in April 1906 was a difficult blow to Maria, but a turning point in her career: she was devoted to completing the scientific work they had started. In 1911 her determination paid off, she won a second Nobel Prize (this time in chemistry) for her discovery and isolation of pure radium and radium components. Madam Curie was the first person to ever receive two Nobel Prizes. Marie Curie was not only a scientific pioneer, but also a social pioneer (Moore 3). A citation from The Graduate Student Cookbook described Marie Curie: Overachiever who cooked, cleaned, discovered radium, and raised a Nobel Prize-winning daughter, but who never forgot how to make a good pierogi. Her many accomplishments were not only astonishing for her time but have yet to be equaled in our time.

Maharana Pratap Singh, Ruler of Mewar

Maharana Pratap Singh was a ruler of Mewar and belonged to the Sisodiya clan of Suryavanshi Rajputs. Maharana Pratap Singh is believed to be the epitome of fiery Rajput pride and self-respect; he has exemplified the qualities to which Rajputs aspire for centuries. Maharana Pratap Singh was born as the eldest child among 25 brothers and 20 sisters at Kumbhalgarh on May 9, 1540 to Maharana Udai Singh II and Maharani Javanta Bai Songara (Chauhan). The birthplace of Maharana Pratap Singh is known as Juni Kacheri. In 1568, during the reign of Udai Singh II, the Mughal emperor Akbar conquered Chittor. The third Jauhar of Chittor became apparent, with the ladies of the fort finding safety from personal dishonour and plunged themselves into fire, while rest of the men folk sallied forth to certain death in the battlefield. Before this condition, Udai Singh and his family had moved to the safety of the nearby hills. He later moved base to another location in the foothills of the Aravalli Range. This new foundation gradually became the city of Udaipur and was accordingly named after him. Udai Singh wished Jagmal, his favorite son could succeed him but his senior nobles wanted Pratap, the eldest son, to be their king. During the coronation ceremony Jagmal was actually moved out of the palace and Pratap was deliberately made the king. Pratap did not want to go against the desire of his father but Rajput nobles convinced him strongly that Jagmal was not capable to rule in the crucial times of the day. It was the beginning of a career of struggle and hardship for Maharana Pratap Singh. Maharana Pratap Singh never believed Akbar as the ruler of India, and kept on fighting with Akbar all his life. Akbar first tried several diplomatic ways to win over Maharana Pratap but nothing really worked. Maharana Pratap Singh maintained that he had no intention to fight with Akbar, however he could not bow down to Akbar and accept him as the ruler. Some historians argue that there was some possibility that Maharana Pratap Singh could have become friends with Akbar, but in the invasion for Chittor Akbar had killed around 30,000 civilians, unarmed residents of Chittor only because they refused to convert to Islam. This left an ever-lasting impression on Maharana Pratap Singh`s mind and he adamant not to bow to such an injustice and cruelty. He strictly followed the Hindu warrior code to refrain from attacking a non-combatant or a person who has laid down his weapons. Tod`s Annals and Antiquities of Rajasthan declare that Maharana Pratap Singh stopped the marriage etiquette of Rajputs who had been giving their daughters to Mughals and his supporting Rajputs. Since Chittorgarh or Maharana Pratap Singh`s ancestral home, was under Mughal occupation, he lived a life with the dream of re conquering Chittor and thus reclaiming the glory of Mewar. His future efforts were bent towards this goal. On June 21, 1576 (June 18 by other calculations), the two armies met at Haldighati, near the town of Gogunda. The Mughal forces greatly outnumbered Maharana Pratap Singh `s men. The battle of Haldighati happened to be a historic event in the history of Rajputana, lasted only four hours. In this short period, Maharana Pratap Singh`s men essayed many brave exploits on the field. Pratap Maharana Pratap Singh personally attacked Man Singh, his horse Chetak placed its front feet on the trunk of Man Singh`s elephant and Maharana Pratap Singh threw his lance; Man Singh ducked, and the mahout also died. Riding his trusty steed Chetak, Maharana Pratap Singh made good his escape to the hills. Chetak was severely wounded in this war and died leaving behind Maharana Pratap Singh in deep grief. A mausoleum to Chetak is at the site of the steed`s death. The battle of Haldighati is considered to be a major breakthrough of Rajputs against the Mughals since the Second Battle of Khanwa in 1527 that was fought between Rana Sanga grandfather of Maharana Pratap Singh and the Mughal Babur grandfather of Akbar. Many Rajput families regard it with a degree of significance. Maharana Pratap Singh started to live in the hilly wilderness of the Aravallis and continued his struggle. His one attempt at open confrontation having thus failed, Maharana Pratap Singh decided to take up the tactics of guerilla warfare. Using the hills as his base, Maharana Pratap Singh harassed the large and therefore awkward Mughal forces in their encampments. Akbar dispatched three more expeditions to hunt for Maharana Pratap Singh`s troops out of his mountainous hideouts, but they all failed. During this era, Maharana Pratap Singh received handsome financial assistance from Bhamashah, a well wisher. The Bhil tribal of the Aravalli hills provided Maharana Pratap Singh with their support during times of dangerous war and their expertise in living off the forests during times of peace. Later, Maharana Pratap Singh started to live in Chavand in the mountainous southeastern area of Mewar. The Mughals however did not stop harassing them and the exiles were continued in those ravines for many years by subsisted on wild berries and by hunting and fishing. Akbar kept sending expeditions against Maharana Pratap Singh, but never succeeded. He exhausted a lot of money and men in trying to defeat Maharana Pratap Singh but for almost 30 years Maharana Pratap Singh remained ahead of Akbar and in the last ten years of his life was able to release most of his kingdom. The only fort Maharana Pratap Singh could not recover was Chittor and that kept him disappointed throughout. However, his son Amar Singh managed to win that fort after Maharana Pratap Singh `s death. Maharana Pratap Singh had 17 sons and five daughters. The male-line descendants of Udai Singh II carry the patronymic title of "Ranawat". Maharana Pratap died of severe injuries sustained in a hunting accident. Legends say that, when he was dying, Maharana Pratap Singh made his son and successor and asked Amar Singh to swear to maintain eternal conflict against the Mughals. Thus, his stressed circumstances did not overpower Maharana Pratap Singh even during his declining years; he remained brave to the end. Maharana Pratap Singh also did not sleep on a bed because of a vow that until Chittor was freed he would sleep on the floor and live in a hut despite the fact that he had retrieved back almost his entire kingdom from Akbar. On January 29, 1597, Maharana Pratap Singh died at Chavand, when he was aged fifty-six. A remarkable bronze statue of Maharana Pratap Singh and his favorite and loyal horse, who was highly protective of his master and stood by him till his last breath, stands at the top of Moti Magri or the Pearl Mount overlooking Fateh Sagar. Local people climb the hill to pay homage to the great Maharana Pratap Singh and his faithful charger `Chetak`. There are the ruins of one of the first self-effacing palaces of Udaipur and a charming Japanese rock garden close by. The books written in memory of Maharana Pratap Singh are as follows - Shaurya Pratapi Maharana Pratap Chittod Ni Rangarjana Jai Chittod Desh Gaurav Bhama Shah Mevad Ni Tej Chhaya Mevad (Mevar or Mewaar or Mewar) Na Maharathi Mevad No Kesri Maharana Pratap is a great hero in the eyes of Indians - respected and loved by his people. Maharana Pratap Singh alone stood firmly for his honor and dignity and never compromised with his rights. The memorable ruler died as a proud and free man.

Akbar the Great

Emperor Akbar, also known as Akbar the Great or Jalaluddin Muhammad Akbar, was the third emperor of the Mughal Empire, after Babur and Humayun. He was the son of Nasiruddin Humayun and succeeded him as the emperor in the year 1556, when he was only 13 years old. One of the most successful emperors of the Mughal Empire, Akbar also made significant contribution in the field of art. Apart from commencing a large collection of literature, he also commissioned a number of splendid buildings during his reign. This biography of King Akbar will provide you more information on his life history:

Early Life
Akbar was born on 15th October 1542, to Emperor Humayun and his recently wedded wife, Hamida Banu Begum. The Rajput Fortress of Umarkot in Sind, where Humayun and Hamida were taking refuge, became the birthplace of this great emperor. In 1540, Humayun was forced into exile by Afghan leader Sher Shah and Akbar spent his childhood in Afghanistan, at his uncle Askari's place. His youth was spent in running and fighting, rather than learning to read and write. However, this could never impair his interest in art, architecture, music and literature.

Humayun recaptured Delhi in the year 1555, with the help of his Persian ally Shah Tahmasp. However, a few months after his victory, he met with an accident and died. On 14th February 1556, Akbar succeeded the throne, in the midst of a war waged by Sikandar Shah for the Mughal throne.

Early Rule
The first battle fought by Akbar was against Sikandar Shah Suri of Punjab. However, when Akbar was busy leading assault against Sikandar Shah, Hemu, a Hindu warrior, launched an attack on Delhi, which was then under the regency of Tardi Beg Khan. Tardi fled from the city and Hemu claimed the capital. On the advice of his general, Bairam, Akbar launched an attack on Delhi and reclaimed the city. On 5th November 1556, 'Akbar the Great' fought the Second Battle of Panipat against General Hemu.

Following soon after was the battle with Sikandar Shah at Mankot. In 1557, Adil Shah, who was the brother of Sikandar, died in a battle in Bengal. Along with fighting against the other rulers, Akbar also solidified his support by revoking the jizya tax on non-Muslims. At the same time, he started wooing the favor of the powerful Rajput caste, at times by marrying Rajput princesses. He expanded the Mughal Empire by including Malwa, Gujarat, Bengal, Kabul, Kashmir and Kandesh, amongst others. In no time, the rule of Akbar was firmly established over the entire Hindustan (India).

Final Years
Akbar was greatly troubled in the last few years of his life due to the misdemeanors of his sons. Especially his third son, Salim, was frequently in rebellion against his father. The last conquest of Akbar comprised of Asirgarh, a fort in the Deccan. Thereafter, he faced the rebellion of his son and breathed his last on 12th October 1605. His body was entombed in a magnificent mausoleum at Sikandra city, near Agra.

Navratnas
Akbar's court had Navaratnas (Nine Jewels), meaning a group of nine extraordinary people. They included:

• Abul Fazel (Akbars's chief advisor and author of Akbarnama)
• Faizi (Akbar's poet laureate)
• Mian Tansen (a Hindu singer who converted to Islam)
• Birbal (a noble known for his wittiness)
• Raja Todar Mal (Akbar's finance minister)
• Raja Man Singh (trusted general of Akbar)
• Abdul Rahim Khan-I-Khana (a noble and a renowned poet)
• Fakir Aziao-Din
• Mullah Do Piaza

Harshavardhan

Harshavardhana was an Indian Emperor, who ruled over the northern parts of India for a period of more than forty years. His empire was spread over the states of Punjab, Bengal, Orissa and the entire Indo-Gangetic plain, lying to the north of the Narmada River. Get more information of the life history of King Harsha Vardhan with this biography:

King Harshavardhana was born in 590 BC to Prabhakar Vardhan. His elder brother was Rajyavardhan, the king of Thanesar. He was instrumental in consolidating the small republics and small monarchical states that had sprung up in North India after the downfall of the Gupta dynasty. Harsha Vardhan united the small republics from Punjab to Central India and they accepted him as their king in 606 AD. Though Harsha was only sixteen years old when he ascended the throne, he proved himself to be a great vanquisher as well as a competent administrator.

After his accession, King Harshavardhan united the two kingdoms of Thanesar (now Kurukshetra) and Kannauj. He also shifted his capital from Thanesar to Kannauj. The next aggression faced by the king was from Sasanka, the ruler of Bengal. He defeated Sasanka and also took over Eastern Punjab (present day Haryana), Bengal, Bihar and Orissa. Thereafter, he occupied Dhruvasena and Ganjam, a part of the modern Orissa State. In 630 BC, Harshavardhana faced defeat at the hands of Pulakesi II, the Chalukya King of Vatapi, in Northern Karnataka. The defeat resulted in a truce between the two kings, with Harsha accepting River Narmada as the southern boundary for his kingdom.

Patronizing Buddhism and Literature
King Harshavardhan was a Shaivite. However, he was tolerant towards all other religions and supported them fully. Some time later in his life, he became a patron of Buddhism also. King Harshavardhana propagated the religion by constructing numerous stupas in the name of Buddha. He believed in supporting art and literature and even made several donations to the Nalanda University. Harsha Vardhana also wrote three Sanskrit plays, namely Nagananda, Ratnavali and Priyadarsika. In 641 BC, he sent a mission to China, which helped in establishing the first diplomatic relations between China and India.

Death of Harsha
King Harshavardhana left for the holy abode in the year 647 AD, after ruling over the Indian subcontinent for more than 41 years. However, since he did not have any heirs, his empire rapidly disintegrated and collapsed into small states again.

ASHOKA - EMPEROR THE GREAT

Ashoka

Asoka was one of the most powerful kings of the Indian subcontinent. A ruler of the Mauryan Empire, Ashoka ruled over the country from 273 BC to 232 BC. The reign of Emperor Asoka covered most of India, South Asia and beyond, stretching from present day Afghanistan and parts of Persia in the west, to Bengal and Assam in the east, and Mysore in the south. However, the Battle of Kalinga changed King Asoka completely. From a power hungry emperor, he turned into a Buddhist follower and started preaching the principles of Buddhism throughout the world. Read on this biography to know more about the life history of 'Ashoka the Great':

Early Life
Asoka was born in 304 BC, to Mauryan Emperor Bindusara and a relatively lower ranked queen, Dharma. The legend associated with the emperor goes that his birth had been predicted by Buddha, in the story of 'The Gift of Dust'. Buddhist Emperor Ashoka had only one younger sibling, Vitthashoka, but, several elder half-brothers. Right from his childhood days Ashoka showed great promise in the field of weaponry skills as well as academics.

Accession to the Throne
Asoka quickly grew into an excellent warrior general and an astute statesman. His command on the Mauryan army started growing day by day and because of this, his elder brothers became suspicious of him being favored by Bindusara as the next emperor. The eldest son of Bindusara, Prince Susima, convinced him to send Asoka to Takshashila province (in Sindh) to control an uprising caused by the formation of different militias. However, the moment Ashoka reached the province, the militias welcomed him with open arms and the uprising came to an end without any fight. This particular success of Asoka made his elder brothers, especially Susima, more insecure.

Susima started inciting Bindusara against Ashoka, who was then sent into exile by the emperor. Asoka went to Kalinga, where he met a fisherwoman named Kaurwaki. He fell in love with her and later, made Kaurwaki his second or third wife. Soon, the province of Ujjain started witnessing a violent uprising. Emperor Bindusara called back Ashoka from the exile and sent him to Ujjain. The prince was injured in the ensuing battle and was treated by Buddhist monks and nuns. It was in Ujjain that Asoka first came to know about the life and teachings of Buddha. In Ujjain, he also met Devi, his personal nurse, who later became his wife.

In the following year, Bindusura became seriously ill and was literally on his deathbed. A group of ministers, led by Radhagupta, called upon Ashoka to assume the crown. In the fight that followed his accession, Ashoka attacked Pataliputra, now Patna, and killed all his brothers, including Susima. After he became the King, Ashoka launched brutal assaults to expand his empire, which lasted for around eight years. Around this time, his Buddhist queen, Devi, gave birth to Prince Mahindra and Princess Sanghamitra.

The Battle of Kalinga
The battle of Kalinga (now Orissa) became a turning point in the life of 'Asoka the Great'. The exact reason for the battle is not known. However, it is believed that one of Ashoka's brothers took refuge at Kalinga and this enraged Asoka, who launched a brutal assault on the province. The whole of the province was plundered and destroyed and thousands of people were killed.

Embracing & Spreading Buddhism
It is said that after the battle of Kalinga was over, King Asoka went on a tour of the city. He could see nothing except burnt houses and scattered corpses. This was the first time in his life that Emperor Ashoka realized the consequences of wars and battles. It is said that even after he had returned to Patliputra, he was haunted by the scenes he saw in Kalinga. Even his queen, Devi, who was a Buddhist, left him after seeing the brutality at Kalinga.

It was during this time that he embraced Buddhism under the Brahmin Buddhist sages, Radhaswami and Manjushri. After adopting Buddhism, Asoka started propagating its principles throughout the world, even as far as ancient Rome and Egypt. Infact, he can be credited with making the first serious attempt to develop a Buddhist policy.

Policy
Buddhist Emperor Asoka built thousands of Stupas and Viharas for Buddhist followers. One of his stupas, the Great Sanchi Stupa, has been declared as a World Heritage Site by UNECSO. The Ashoka Pillar at Sarnath has a four-lion capital, which was later adopted as the national emblem of the modern Indian republic. Throughout his life, 'Asoka the Great' followed the policy of nonviolence or ahimsa. Even the slaughter or mutilation of animals was abolished in his kingdom. He promoted the concept of vegetarianism. The caste system ceased to exist in his eyes and he treated all his subjects as equals. At the same time, each and every person was given the rights to freedom, tolerance, and equality.

Missions to Spread Buddhism
The third council of Buddhism was held under the patronage of Emperor Ashoka. He also supported the Vibhajjavada sub-school of the Sthaviravada sect, now known as the Pali Theravada. He sent his missionaries to the following places:

• Kashmir - Gandhara Majjhantika
• Mahisamandala (Mysore) - Mahadeva
• Vanavasi (Tamil Nadu) - Rakkhita
• Aparantaka (Gujarat and Sindh) - Yona Dhammarakkhita
• Maharattha (Maharashtra) - Mahadhammarakkhita
• "Country of the Yona" (Bactria/ Seleucid Empire) - Maharakkhita
• Himavanta (Nepal) - Majjhima
• Suvannabhumi (Thailand/ Myanmar) - Sona and Uttara
• Lankadipa (Sri Lanka) - Mahamahinda

His missionaries also went to the below mentioned places:

• Seleucid Empire (Middle Asia)
• Egypt
• Macedonia
• Cyrene (Libya)
• Epirus (Greece and Albania)

Death
After ruling over the Indian subcontinent for a period of approximately 40 years, the Great Emperor Asoka left for the holy abode in 232 BC. After his death, his empire lasted for just fifty more years.

SIR CHANDRASEKHAR VENKATA RAMAN

Born: November 7, 1888
Died: November 21, 1970
Achievements: He was the first Indian scholar who studied wholly in India received the Nobel Prize.

C.V. Raman is one of the most renowned scientists produced by India. His full name was Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman. For his pioneering work on scattering of light, C.V. Raman won the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1930.

Chandrashekhara Venkata Raman was born on November 7, 1888 in Tiruchinapalli, Tamil Nadu. He was the second child of Chandrasekhar Iyer and Parvathi Amma. His father was a lecturer in mathematics and physics, so he had an academic atmosphere at home. He entered Presidency College, Madras, in 1902, and in 1904 passed his B.A. examination, winning the first place and the gold medal in physics. In 1907, C.V. Raman passed his M.A. obtaining the highest distinctions.

During those times there were not many opportunities for scientists in India. Therefore, Raman joined the Indian Finance Department in 1907. After his office hours, he carried out his experimental research in the laboratory of the Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science at Calcutta. He carried out research in acoustics and optics.

In 1917, Raman was offered the position of Sir Taraknath Palit Professorship of Physics at Calcutta University. He stayed there for the next fifteen years. During his tenure there, he received world wide recognition for his work in optics and scattering of light. He was elected to the Royal Society of London in 1924 and the British made him a knight of the British Empire in 1929. In 1930, Sir C.V. Raman was awarded with Nobel Prize in Physics for his work on scattering of light. The discovery was later christened as "Raman Effect".

In 1934, C.V. Raman became the director of the newly established Indian Institute of Sciences in Bangalore, where two years later he continued as a professor of physics. Other investigations carried out by Raman were: his experimental and theoretical studies on the diffraction of light by acoustic waves of ultrasonic and hypersonic frequencies (published 1934-1942), and those on the effects produced by X-rays on infrared vibrations in crystals exposed to ordinary light. In 1947, he was appointed as the first National Professor by the new government of Independent India. He retired from the Indian Institute in 1948 and a year later he established the Raman Research Institute in Bangalore, where he worked till his death.

Sir C.V. Raman died on November 21, 1970.