Prafulla Chandra Ray

Prafulla Chandra Ray (Bengali: প্রফুল্ল চন্দ্র রায়; 2 August 1861 – 16 June 1944) was a Indian academician, a chemist and entrepreneur. He was the founder of Bengal Chemicals & Pharmaceuticals, India's first pharmaceutical company. He is the author of A History of Hindu Chemistry from the Earliest Times to the Middle of Sixteenth Century (1902).

Acharya Prafulla Chandra Ray
Born	Prafulla Chandra Ray August 2 , 1861 Raruli, Khulna, British India
Died	June 16, 1944 Calcutta
Nationality	British Indian
Alma mater	Metropolitan Institution Presidency College Edinburgh University

Early life

Ray was born in the village Raruli-Katpara in His father Harish Chandra Ray was a land proprietor. Up to age of nine, Prafulla Chandra studied in a school in his village. In 1870 his family migrated to Calcutta and Ray and his elder brother were admitted to Hare School. in 1874, while Ray was in the fourth standard, he suffered from a severe attack of dysentery, which hampered his health throughout his life. Due to the severity of the attack, Ray had to postpone his studies for couple of years and return to his ancestral home in the village. However Ray himself considered this disruption in his studies as a blessing in disguise as it allowed him to read much more widely than what would have been possible within the constraints of school curricula. Amongst others, he read Lethbridge's 'Selections from Modern English Literature' and Goldsmith's 'Vicar of Wakefield'. After recovering from his illness Ray returned to Calcutta and took admission in Albert School.

In 1879 he passed the Entrance Examination and took admission into Metropolitan Institution which was established by Pandit Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar. At that time the Metropolitan Institution had no science classes or laboratories and Ray attended lectures on Physics and Chemistry in the Presidency College as an external student. Here he was specially attracted by the chemistry courses of professor Alexander Pedler. While studying for his BA examination, he applied for and was awarded in 1882 one of the two Gilchrist Prize Scholarships after an all-India competitive examination. Without completing the course for his degree, Prafulla Chandra proceeded to Britain and enrolled in the BSc programme of Edinburgh University where he studied Physics, Chemistry and Biology amongst other subjects. But Ray did not confine his studies to only natural sciences. He also developed a strong interest in history and read books like Russel's 'L'Inde des Rajas', Lanoye's 'L'Inde contemporaine', 'Revenue dex deux moneds'. He also read Fosset's book on political economy and 'Essays on Indian Finance'. After obtaining his BSc degree from Edinburgh University, Ray embarked on his doctoral thesis (DSc) in the same university and completed his doctorate in 1887. He was awarded the Hope Prize which allowed him to work on his research for a further period of one year after completion of his doctorate. His topic of research was- Conjugatedof Group- A Study and Molecular Combinations. While being a student of he was elected Vice-President of Edinburgh University Chemical Society in 1888.

Career

Prafulla Chandra returned to India in the first week of August of 1888 and subsequently joined Presidency College, Calcutta as temporary Assistant Professor of Chemistry in 1889. Ray who had a doctorate in science from Edinburgh University felt deeply aggrieved when even with his excellent educational credentials he was not able to secure a position within the Imperial service (his academic position was within the 'provincial service') and attributed this to the discriminatory attitude of the ruling government towards native intelligentsia. He complained to the top officials of the government but with no effect.

In 1896, he published a paper on preparation of a new stable chemical compound: Mercurous nitrite. This work made way for a large number of investigative papers on nitrites and hyponitrites of different metals, and on nitrites of ammonia and organic amines. He started a new Indian School of Chemistry in 1924.

Prafulla Chandra retired from the Presidency College in 1916, and joined the Calcutta University College of Science (now known as Rajabazar Science College) as its first Palit Professor of Chemistry, a chair named after Tarak Nath Palit. Here also he got a dedicated team and he started working on compounds of gold, platinum, iridium etc. with mercaptyl radicals and organic sulphides. A number of papers were published on this work in the Journal of the Indian Chemical Society.

In 1936, at the age of 75, he retired from active service and became Professor Emeritus. Long before that, on the completion of his 60th year in 1921, he made a free gift of his entire salary to the Calcutta University from that date onward, to be spent for the furtherance of chemical research, and the development of the Department of Chemistry in the University College of Science.

He had written 107 papers in all branches of Chemistry by 1920.

Entrepreneurship

He realized that advancement of India and its people can happen only by economic advancement through development of new industries on scientific lines. He showed the way by investing his own money into forming Bengal Chemical and Pharmaceutical Works in Kolkata in 1893 which has now become the leading manufacturer of many basic chemicals in India. This company culminated into the pioneer of chemical industry in India. In 1902, it became a limited company and grew up under his guidance.

Literary works and interests

He contributed articles in Bengali to many monthly magazines, particularly on scientific topics. He published the first volume of his autobiography Life and Experience of a Bengali Chemist in 1932, and dedicated it to the youth of India. The second volume of this work was issued in 1935.

In 1902, he published the first volume of A History of Hindu Chemistry from the Earliest Times to the Middle of Sixteenth Century. The second volume was published in 1908. The work was result of many years' search through ancient Sanskrit manuscripts and through works of orientalists.

Social service

In 1923, Northern Bengal suffered a flood which made millions of people homeless and hungry. Prafulla Chandra organized Bengal Relief Committee, which collected nearly 2.5 million rupees in cash and kind and distributed it in the affected area in an organized manner.

He donated money regularly towards welfare of Sadharan Brahmo Samaj, Brahmo Girls' School and Indian Chemical Society. In 1922, he donated money to establish Nagarjuna Prize to be awarded for the best work in chemistry. In 1937, another award, named after Ashutosh Mukherjee, to be awarded for the best work in zoology or botany, was established from his donation.

Recognition

He earned his Ph.D. at Calcutta University in 1908. He received an honorary D.Sc. degree from Durham University in 1912, and another from Dacca University(now Dhaka University) in 1936. He was made a Companion of the Order of the Indian Empire in 1911 . He was Honorary Fellow of the Chemical Society and Deutsche Akademie, Munich. He was president of the 1920 session of the Indian Science Congress. The Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) honoured his the life and work with the first ever Chemical Landmark Plaque outside Europe.

Life

He remained a bachelor throughout his life who took active participation in politics.

His family, in particular, his father Harish Chandra Ray, was strongly associated with Brahmo Samaj. Prafulla Chandra developed direct connections with the Samaj as he grew up; he used to attend Sunday evening sermons of Keshub Chandra Sen and was deeply influenced by Sen's Sulabha Samachar.

Legacy

An exhibition on Prafulla Chandra Ray, was held at the Science City, Kolkata on his 150th birth anniversary (2 August 2011).

Tagore, when presiding over his seventieth birthday celebration, said:

It is stated in the Upanishads that The One said, 'I shall be Many'. The beginning of Creation is a move towards self-immolation. Prafulla Chandra has become many in his pupils and made his heart alive in the hearts of many. And that would not have been at all possible had he not unreservedly made a gift of himself. The glory of this power in Prafulla Chandra as teacher will never be worn out by decrepitude. It will extend further in time through the ever-growing intelligence of youthful hearts ; by steady perseverance they will win new treasures of knowledge.

This summarizes the effect and influence that Prafulla Chandra had on his followers and countrymen.

Acharya Prafulla Chandra College and Acharya Prafulla Chandra Ray Polytechnic, both in Kolkata, are named after him. In Bangladesh, Bagerhat P.C College is a great educational institute. It is located in Bagerhat Shadar in Horinkhana. There are H.S.C, Undergratute in Hons. and post graduate programs. P.C Ray (Profulla Chandra) was the Founder of this college. There are one administritive Building, one commerce Building, one Science Building, one Hons. building, a two storied laboratory building, a two storied Library, a post office, play ground, mosque, three boy's hostel, one girls hostel and also transportation facilities.

See also

• Acharya Prafulla Chandra College
• Prafulla Chandra College
• Gilchrist Educational Trust

External links

• A Biography (Calcuttaweb.com)
• Article from Vigayanprsar website