top of page

By:

Suhas B Naik-Satam

25 November 2025 at 2:24:38 pm

The Institution That Shaped Modern Indian Science

A journey from Mahendra Lal Sircar's vision to global scientific excellence. The year 2026 marks the sesquicentennial of the Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science (IACS), Kolkata, the oldest institution in India devoted exclusively to fundamental scientific research. Founded on 29 July 1876 by the visionary physician and educationist Dr Mahendra Lal Sircar, IACS emerged when India lacked institutions dedicated to experimental science. Convinced that scientific inquiry was...

The Institution That Shaped Modern Indian Science

A journey from Mahendra Lal Sircar's vision to global scientific excellence. The year 2026 marks the sesquicentennial of the Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science (IACS), Kolkata, the oldest institution in India devoted exclusively to fundamental scientific research. Founded on 29 July 1876 by the visionary physician and educationist Dr Mahendra Lal Sircar, IACS emerged when India lacked institutions dedicated to experimental science. Convinced that scientific inquiry was indispensable for national progress, Sircar established an institution to nurture original research by Indians while promoting scientific knowledge among the public. One hundred and fifty years later, IACS remains one of India's foremost research institutions, its history closely intertwined with the evolution of modern science in the country. The genesis of IACS reflected the intellectual ferment of the Bengal Renaissance. Trained in Western medicine yet deeply committed to India's intellectual emancipation, Sircar argued that science should be cultivated through experimentation and discovery rather than merely imported through textbooks. Inspired by institutions such as the Royal Institution of Great Britain, he envisioned a publicly supported national laboratory where Indians could pursue independent scientific research. At a time when such opportunities were scarce under colonial rule, IACS became the country's first permanent home for fundamental scientific investigation. During its early decades, the Association combined public lectures and scientific demonstrations with laboratory research, fostering an interdisciplinary culture spanning physics, chemistry and the natural sciences. Though modest in resources, it established an enduring tradition of curiosity-driven research. The defining chapter in IACS history began with the arrival of Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman in 1907. While serving in the Indian Finance Department, Raman spent his evenings and holidays conducting experiments at IACS on acoustics, optics and the scattering of light. On 28 February 1928, he and his collaborators announced the discovery of the inelastic scattering of light by molecules—the Raman Effect—creating a powerful spectroscopic technique that transformed the study of molecular structure. Today, Raman spectroscopy is indispensable across chemistry, materials science, biology, medicine, pharmaceuticals, environmental monitoring and planetary exploration. For this achievement, Raman received the 1930 Nobel Prize in Physics, becoming the first Asian to win a Nobel Prize in the sciences for work conducted entirely in India. His success demonstrated that world-class scientific research could emerge from Indian laboratories. Yet IACS's scientific legacy extends far beyond Raman. Kedareswar Banerjee advanced crystallographic research through pioneering X-ray crystallography, while Satyendra Nath Bose's association with IACS enriched the intellectual environment that fostered advances in quantum physics. Meghnad Saha's theory of thermal ionisation transformed astrophysics, and together Raman, Bose and Saha established Kolkata as one of Asia's leading scientific centres. The institution also made major contributions to chemistry through Jnan Chandra Ghosh, whose work in physical chemistry laid foundations for modern chemical research in India. Following Independence, IACS expanded into chemical sciences, materials science, biological sciences and theoretical physics, reflecting the increasingly interdisciplinary nature of scientific inquiry. Among its distinguished scientists was Asima Chatterjee, whose pioneering research on natural products chemistry and medicinal plant alkaloids transformed phytochemistry and contributed significantly to pharmaceutical science. Ajoy Ghatak further strengthened IACS's reputation through his work in fibre optics, waveguides and laser physics, while his textbooks educated generations of physicists and engineers. More recently, IACS researchers have advanced ultrafast spectroscopy, nanomaterials, renewable energy, molecular electronics, quantum materials and computational biology. Today, IACS functions as a deemed-to-be university under the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India. Its interdisciplinary research spans the chemical, physical and biological sciences, supported by advanced facilities in spectroscopy, microscopy, X-ray diffraction, electron microscopy, computational modelling and materials characterisation. Its doctoral and postdoctoral programmes continue to produce scientists who contribute to universities, research laboratories and industry worldwide. The institution's enduring strength lies in its commitment to curiosity-driven research. Unlike organisations established primarily for technological development or industrial applications, IACS has consistently recognised that transformative innovation begins with fundamental scientific understanding. This philosophy, articulated by Mahendra Lal Sircar nearly 150 years ago, remains especially relevant in an era defined by quantum technologies, artificial intelligence, sustainable energy and molecular medicine. The sesquicentennial of IACS celebrates not only a remarkable institution but also the evolution of Indian science. From its modest beginnings in colonial Calcutta to its emergence as an internationally respected research institution, IACS has nurtured Nobel laureates, pioneering physicists, eminent chemists and generations of young researchers who continue to expand the frontiers of knowledge. As IACS enters its second century and a half, it carries forward Mahendra Lal Sircar's vision that science should be pursued with intellectual freedom, experimental rigour and an unwavering commitment to the advancement of humanity. Its 150-year legacy remains a powerful reminder that the greatest scientific discoveries begin with curiosity and flourish in institutions dedicated to excellence. (The writer is the Chief Executive for National Centre for Science Communicators, Mumbai. Views personal.)

Commoners feel painful pinch

Mumbai:  As fuel prices shot up by nearly Rs 5/litre in barely 10 days, the common citizens are feeling the pinch of a fresh wave of inflation and rates of all essentials gradually rising.

 

From the humble favourite street corner vada-pav and pav-bhaji to milk, vegetables, fruits, groceries and ice-creams, besides online food deliveries, malls, showrooms and other retailers, the impact is starkly visible all around.

 

Federation of Retail Traders Welfare Association (FRTWA) President Viren Shah said the situation is indeed gloomy and likely to worsen, “not just in India, but world over” in the coming weeks.

 

“After the appeal by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the people have veered to savings… Usually during summer vacations, our sales go up, but this year we are facing a downfall,” Shah told ‘The Perfect Voice’.

 

He said that the response from thousands of FRTWA members in Mumbai and other parts are discouraging as many are trying to cut corners, save on overheads and possibly reduce staff.

 

“There will be no fresh hirings, no increments for current staff, and since business is down, even the existing staffers face the axe. Prices are shooting up everywhere due to fuel price hikes coupled with fall in demand, it's like a double-hit for us,” lamented Shah.

 

More than Heat

Roadside food-vendors and customers are facing more than just the summer heat. Shubham Sharma running a popular pani-puri chat centre in Kandivali said that left with no options, he is forced to hike the prices of all his offerings by Rs 5-10 per plate from today.

 

“We somehow managed with the previous two fuel price hikes, but the latest one will impact our livelihood. Business is already down due to summer vacations, this is another blow, with future appearing bleak,” rued Gupta, whose vast clientele base comprises students and office-goers.

 

Most vada-pav vendors on the streets have quietly jacked up their rates by Rs. 5-10, depending on the locality. The rates have shot up between Rs. 25-Rs. 35, said Mangesh Sawant from Goregaon.

 

“It’s a cascading effect. The price of pav (bread loaf) has gone up, the vegetables and chutneys are much more expensive besides the cooking oil and gas cylinders… What can we do?” lamented Sawant, showing how the afternoon peak hour rush was thinning.

 

A visit to Dahisar markets shows a similar picture as vegetable prices have gone through the roofs – most greens of daily use are selling between Rs 25-40/250 gms; a bunch of ‘kothmir’ is available for Rs. 50, up by Rs 20 in just a week; tiny lemons go Rs 10 apiece, drumsticks are a luxury at Rs. 20-25/per piece, said a vendor Dilip Gupta.

 

Despite the heat, the consumers are shying away from the traditional ice-creams and other cold drinks or frozen desserts, said the famed Borivali Best Falooda Centre owner Ramavtar Singh.

 

“Summer is usually our peak season, but this year it is tough… The fuel prices hike has affected transportation costs of all our raw ingredients like milk, fresh or dry fruits, sugar, juices, etc. We shall be forced to hike the prices of our single kulfi from Rs 35 to Rs 50 soon, that will further hit business,”  Singh said.

 

Inflation Push

Financial analyst and advisor Rajesh Shah said that fuel price hike has hit transportation, farming, logistics, manufacturing, retail supply chains, refrigeration, warehousing costs, etc, which could push up India’s retail inflation sharply in the next couple of months.

 

“Added to this is the threat looming over fare hikes of public buses, railways, taxis, autorickshaws, arising out of the zooming global crude oil prices in the wake of the face-off in West Asia. Since India imports nearly 80 pc of its crude oil needs, it is extremely vulnerable to international shocks,” explained Shah.

 

Market players point out how the cost of transport of essentials from farms to markets have increased by several thousands of rupees per truck as diesel powers the entire chain.

 

“These costs are naturally passed down to the final consumer… ” said a tempo owner, Rupesh Gowale of Dahisar, as netizens raged against the government over social media.

Comments

bottom of page