Lesser known but equally important Indian Physicists – Part 1: B.B. Ray and S.K. Mitra

Indian history of physics is dominated by the Nobel Laureate C.V. Raman (1888-1970), M.N. Saha (1893-1956), S.N. Bose (1894-1974), and Homi J. Bhabha (1909-1966). ‘To look over the edge’, about a decade ago, I started a project under the title “lesser known but equally important Indian scientists.” Under the project, I wrote on S.K. Mitra (1890-1963), B.B. Ray (1894-1944), D.M. Bose (1885-1975), K. Banerjee (1900-1975), S.C. Sirkar (1898-1983), and S.R. Khastgir (1898-1973). With S.C. Roy (formerly Editor-in-Chief of Science and Culture) I wrote on N.R. Sen (1894-1963), Bibha Chowdhuri (1913-1991), Purnima Sinha (1927-2015), and S.D. Chatterjee (1909-1995). The extended version of Bibha Chowdhuri’s biography was published by the TIFR.

As all the above-mentioned biographies are published in Germany, thus, in some Indian circles, the above-published work is not well known. I am thankful to the ‘ASET Forum’, TIFR, for giving me the opportunity for organizing two lectures. In the present communication I give a scant review of the life and science of S.K. Mitra (founder of the Institute of Radio Physics and Electronics, University of Calcutta) and B.B. Ray (Creator of the X-Ray Laboratory at the University of Calcutta); two of C.V. Raman’s students; and M.N. Saha’s ‘friends’.

About the Speaker:
R. Singh did B.Sc. and B.Ed. from the Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, and thereafter taught in a school in Jalandhar. On proceeding to Germany, he did ‘Diplom-Physik’ (five years degree course) at the University of Oldenburg, and wrote a thesis on “Characteristics of Solar Radiation Photovoltaic Pyranometers Licor 200SZ and Matrix 1G”. He obtained D.Sc. from the University of Hamburg on his thesis titled “Nobel Laureate C.V. Raman’s work on light scattering”, which was published in 2004.

Presently, he continues to teach Physics to school students and does research on the History of Science in the Research Group-Physics Education and Science Communication, Physics Institute, University of Oldenburg.  His domain of research pertains to (i) Indian scientists and their interaction with Western scientists, (ii) Nobel Prizes, (iii) Science Education. At the University of Oldenburg, Physics Institute, he initiated the project “Lesser known but equally important Indian scientists”. Under this project, he has written biographies of S.K., Mitra, K. Banerjee, S.C. Sirkar, D.M. Bose, S. Datta, S.R. Khastgir, and several other Indian scientists. R. Singh has authored 41 books and more than 150 articles in international journals. 

He is Member of Editorial Team: Science & Culture, Kolkata (Indian Science News Association), and Scientific Voyage, Kolkata. He was also a Member of the Editorial team of the Indian J. History of Science & Asian Journal of Physics. He is/was Member of: European Physical Society (2009-2011), the German Physical Society/History of Physics & Didactic of Physics (1998-...), German Soc. Sci. Med. & Tech (2005-2020), Scientific Instrument Commission (1998-...), Education and Science Union (2005-...), European Society for the History of Science (2004-...), Astronomical Society (AG-HA), "Jugend forscht eV", (Young Researchers Association) Hamburg (2005-2022), Bulgarian Soc. Chem. Edu. & Hist. & Phil. Chemistry, Member of Selection Committee, Heinrich Boell Foundation (2014-2019).

To initiate a lecture series on the occasion of “Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav (75th Anniversary of Indian Independence)” he was invited by the Indian National Science Academy to deliver an Online lecture on “Bibha Chowdhuri”. During his three-week visit to India in July-August 2022, his lectures on different topics were hosted by the Punjab State Council for Science & Technology in collaboration with the State Council of Educational Research & Training, Panjab University, Chandigarh, IIT Ropar, IIT Delhi, IISER Mohali & Society of the Promotion of Science and Technology of India and Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore (for more details see, https://www.rajindersinghdr.hpage.com/confernces-etc.html).