Acharya Prafulla Chandra Ray

Alakananda P SPhysical Science

P.C.Ray

• P.C.Ray known as the father of Indian Chemistry

• A great teacher, he gave his salary to students interested in science

• He was a Patriot who stirred his students with the call Science can wait, but swaraj cannot

P.C.Ray

Education1.He started education in his father’s village school2.Higher education was at Hare school and Metropolital Institute3.After taking F.A diploma (1881)from the university of Calcutta he proceeded to the University of Edinburgh on a Gilchrist Scholarship.

P.C.Ray

Career1.Ray joined in a specially created post in the Presidency college2.On retiring from the Presidency college ,he became the first Palit professor of Chemistry in the University college of science3.Here he continued his research and teaching for another decades till 1937

P.C.Ray

Research•His research covered a wide range of problems related to food adultevation•Search for the elements missing in the periodic table•In 1896 he published a paper on presentation of a new stable chemical compound:Mercurous Nitrate•Ray developed a new method for the synthesis of Ammonium Nitrate•Ray wrote more than 100 papers ,some in collaboration with his students on Mercury salts and related compounds

P.C.Ray

He founded •Bengal chemical&pharmaceutical works•Bengal pottery works•Calcatta soapworks and other factories•A new Indian School of Chemistry

P.C.Ray

Literary Works•Ray was a voracious reader of literature, history and biography. He could read half-a-dozen languages. He once claimed that he ‘became a chemist almost by mistake.’•The History of Hindu Chemistry which appeared in two volume

P.C.Ray

Honours•Honorary doctorates C.I.E(1911)•Knightwood(1919)•President of the Indian Chemical society(1924)•The Royal society of chemistry honored his life and work with the first ever chemical landmark Plaque outside Europe.

P.C.Ray

Life•He lived a life of extreme self-denial. He became a symbol of plain living. Mahatma Gandhi said: “It is difficult to believe that the man in simple Indian dress wearing simple manners could possibly be the great scientist and professor.”

•The university established the Acharya P.C Ray museum to house his personal belongings,collection of books and many of Shakesphere’s playes with his personal noting

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