Jnan Chandra Ghosh

Jnan Chandra Ghosh was an Indian chemist who made significant contributions to the fields of scientific research, industrial development and technology education in India. He was born on 4 September 1894 in Giridih, Purulia District, British India, to a family of mica mine owners and merchants. He had his initial schooling at Giridih High School, where he stood first in the Chotnagpur Division in 1909 and enrolled in Presidency College, Kolkata. At Presidency College, he was among the finest students who would later become famous scientists. In 1911, Jnan Chandra Ghosh got fourth position in I.Sc. examination, while his other famous classmates Satyendranath Bose topped the list and Meghnad Saha got the third position. He passed both B.Sc. and M.Sc. as first in the first class in Chemistry and during this time he came under the inspiring influence of Acharya Prafulla Chandra Ray. He obtained his D.Sc. degree from the University of Calcutta in 1918 and joined the Rajabazar Science College as a lecturer. He also worked as a research scholar at Imperial College London under Sir William Jackson Pope. He returned to India in 1921 and became the Professor and Head of the Department of Chemistry at Dacca University (now Dhaka University). He established a well-equipped laboratory and initiated research on various topics such as electrolytes, catalysis, photochemistry, colloids, organic synthesis and biochemistry. He also founded the Indian Chemical Society in 1924 and served as its first Secretary. In 1939, he became the Director of the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bangalore, where he expanded the scope of research and education to include engineering, metallurgy, aeronautics and power engineering. He also established new departments such as biochemistry, microbiology, applied mathematics and statistics. He was instrumental in setting up the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) in 1942 and served as its first Vice President. He also played a key role in establishing the National Chemical Laboratory (NCL) in Pune and the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) in New Delhi. In 1947, he was appointed as the Director-general of Industries and Supplies by the Government of India and was responsible for planning and implementing various industrial projects such as steel plants, fertilizer factories, cement plants, paper mills, etc. He also served as a Member of the Indian Scientific Mission to the UK, USA and Canada, a mission sponsored by Sir Winston Churchill and organized by the Nobel Laureate A.V. Hill. In 1950, he became the Director of the newly formed Eastern Higher Technical Institute in Kharagpur, which was renamed as Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur in 1951. He was instrumental in shaping the vision and curriculum of this institute and making it a premier institution of engineering education and research in India. He also introduced several subjects for study and research such as fermentation technology, high-pressure and industrial gas reactions. In 1954, he became the Vice Chancellor of Calcutta University and initiated several reforms to improve the academic standards and administration of the university. He also served as a Member of Planning Commission from 1955 to 1959 and advised on various aspects of scientific and industrial development. He was awarded the Padma Bhushan by the Government of India in 1954 for his services to science and education. He was also knighted by the British Government in 1943. He was the President of the Indian Science Congress Association in 1939 and the President of the Indian National Science Academy in 1943-44. He was also a Member of the Royal Society Empire, Scientific Conference (London) and Commonwealth Scientific Conference (London). He died of a heart attack on 21 January 1959 in Calcutta, India, at the age of 64. He was survived by his wife Sarala Devi Ghosh and his two children Amita Ghosh and Amiya Ghosh. He was cremated at Keoratala crematorium in Calcutta. He is remembered as one of the pioneers of scientific research, industrial development and technology education in India. He was also known for his development of anomaly of strong electrolytes and the dissociation-ionization theory. His other important contributions include his extensive study of photocatalysts under the influence of polarised light and developments of Fischer-Tropsch reaction for the synthesis of hydrocarbons. He also made contributions in the field of the application of Differential Thermal Analysis (D.T.A) as a tool for the systematic study of solid catalysts. He also successfully guided research work on technical problems relating to the production from Indian raw materials of phosphatic fertilisers, ammonium sulphate, formaldehyde, potassium chlorate, etc. He authored co-authored many books among which mention may be made of Some Catalytic Gas Reactions of Industrial Importance (1960).