Professor Chintamani Nagesa Ramachandra Rao, 76, or Professor CNR Rao as he is generally known is a giant figure in Indian sciences. The founder of Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research [JNCASR] in Bangalore has also been a chairman of science advisory council to the Prime Minister for several years. He has nearly 50 doctorates besides 1,500 research papers and is an author of more than 40 books.
He has been a visiting professor at famous universities, including Purdue, Oxford and Cambridge. Currently, the National Research Professor and Linus Pauling Research Professor, he is also the director of International Centre for Materials Science (ICMS). He is the only overseas scientific icon to deliver an address at the Convocation of the Fellowship of Royal Society in London in June 2010. He speaks to Stephen David about his journey, accomplishments and a distinguished career.
Seeds of education
For someone in the early 1920s or 1930s my father Nagesa Rao and my mother Nagamma were well read. The only son to my parents, I grew up in the old part of Bangalore in the Basavanagudi area and I fondly recall my mother telling me lots of mythological stories and her daily pujas greatly impacted me. I think by six or so my mother had narrated in Kannada all the episodes of the Ramayana and Mahabaratha.
It influenced my own journey into spirituality. My father wanted me to speak in English too, and it helped that there was an academic atmosphere at home. While I was in the middle school World War II broke out and the freedom movement was in full swing. Part of my high school was in the Acharya Patashala in Basavanagudi and one of the epochal events here was the love for chemistry. I passed my high school exam in first class in 1947.
I listened to the heart-stirring speeches by leaders like Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and Dr Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan. I also took part in some of the freedom movement meetings in whatever capacity I could. Armed with an early interest in science I joined Central College, Bangalore, passing BSc in first class at the age of 17. College also gave me a chance to hone my skills in English, debates and other activities. I had also learnt Sanskrit by then. Those were also the days when I enjoyed the little joys of life like set dosas or ragi muddes (ragi balls) or even surviving on half a cup of coffee.
Raman & Joshi effect
The early years gave an opportunity to meet great Kannada literary giants such as DV Gundappa. One of the fondest memories was meeting Nobel laureate professor CV Raman when he visited our school in 1946. Later, we had the privilege of seeing his lab, a great and humbling experience that had a big and lasting effect on me.
Armed with a BSc in 1951, I could have settled for a cushy job but the thirst for learning instead of earning was always there. At a time when I was thinking of joining IISc for a diploma or a postgraduate degree in chemical engineering a college lecturer suggested that I try Banaras Hindu University (BHU). All it took was a plain paper application to BHU and I got a telegram within two days from professor SS Joshi admitting me to MSc course.
Professor Joshi wanted me to start my research for MSc right away. We had to work hard in the nights due to power shortages. Professor Joshi also helped us enlarge our vision by asking us to prepare abstracts for presentation in the annual science congress sessions. We gained fresh insights into our fields of study interacting with great scientists who stopped by at BHU. My first paper was in the Agra University Journal of Research in 1954.
Kharagpur to Purdue
Back in Bangalore in 1953 after a great time in BHU, a scholarship worked out for me for a PhD in IIT Kharagpur. But I felt a stint abroad would be useful.
Four universities - MIT, PennState, Columbia and Purdue - were offering admission with financial support, but I chose Purdue. More than twenty days by ship from Mumbai, I was in New York ready to begin a new life. I completed my PhD in two years and nine months, a record of sorts. It was also at Purdue that I met the great chemist Linus Pauling. Life was on a swing and the academic climate was great but somehow the home pull was greater and in 1959 I landed in Bangalore to join the IISc as a lecturer on a monthly salary of Rs.500. The conditions at IISc were no match to the American centres but it is better to light a candle than curse the darkness.
With just six PhD students, we had a seminar system, doing research and experiments. My monograph on ultraviolet and visible spectroscopy using molecular orbital notations eventually resulted into a book in 1960. Great scientists such as C.V. Raman were also ready to lend a helping hand. Raman even allowed to record some infrared spectra in his lab. That gave enough material to write another book on infrared spectroscopy.
Milestones
It was a hot day when my family alighted at the Kanpur railway station in April 1963. A new life at IIT Kanpur that would carry on till 1976. Its director PK Kelkar had an immense faith in me, making me HOD at 29. In 1964, Sir CV Raman wrote to me that I was elected a fellow of the Indian Academy of Sciences; the recognition only reinforced a commitment to pursue scientific activities. Another big high was the Marlow Medal in 1967 by the Faraday Society of England for outstanding contributions to physical chemistry by young scientists below 33.
Later, I was back in Bangalore to set up a solid state and structural chemistry unit at IISc from 1976 and became a director in 1984. Another big milestone was to found the Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research in Jakkur.
Catch them young
We must leave a legacy. We created CNR Rao Education Foundation from a part of the million-dollar Dan David Award from Tel Aviv University, Israel, because if the youth don't catch on to science at a young age, we will lose whatever science and technology advantage we have now. My wife, Indumati has been leading the work of this foundation along with members of the family. We want to see India emerge as a scientific giant.
At the Hall of Sciences at JNCASR stands a bust of my guru Pauling - one of the two greatest scientists of the 20th century (the other being Einstein) and I tell school children who visit JNCASR that they have to dream big, study hard, and study science. I tell them how I myself took to understanding chemical properties while being in school.
Honour for an Indian
Another big feather in the cap is the unique honour for India when I will be the only overseas scientist to deliver an address at the Convocation of the Fellowship of the world's oldest existing scientific academy Royal Society in London in June 2010, the main formal event for the science body's 350th anniversary celebrations. It is a honour for me as an Indian to be the only scientist to address such an audience.
Tips for success
- Pursue your dreams with passion, hardwork and dedication.
- Never stop learning. The thirst to gain more knowledge should never come to an end.
- Always gain fresh insights, don't hesitate to ask the right questions.
- Observe leaders closely, learn as much as you can from their leadership styles.
- Build a strong base. The journey to peaks of excellence requires a strong base camp.
- Keep a balance between professional and personal life. Find time for your family and the things which interest you.
Bharat Ratna CNR Rao calls politicians idiots
Venting out the dissatisfaction in the scientific community over "inadequate" funding, Bharat Ratna awardee and eminent scientist C N R Rao Sunday had an angry outburst as he called politicians "idiots" for giving them "so little".
Addressing a press conference a day after the award was announced, Rao, who is the Chairman of Prime Minister's Scientific Advisory Council, stressed the need for providing more resources for research.
"....for the money that government has given to scientific sector, we have done much more," he retorted, when a reporter asked if he felt that the standard of the scientific research in the country.
"....Why the hell these idiots these politicians have given so little for us. Inspite of that we scientists have done something," Rao said, losing his cool.
Venting out the dissatisfaction in the scientific community over "inadequate" funding, Bharat Ratna awardee and eminent scientist C N R Rao Sunday had an angry outburst as he called politicians "idiots" for giving them "so little".
Addressing a press conference a day after the award was announced, Rao, who is the Chairman of Prime Minister's Scientific Advisory Council, stressed the need for providing more resources for research.
"....for the money that government has given to scientific sector, we have done much more," he retorted, when a reporter asked if he felt that the standard of the scientific research in the country.
"....Why the hell these idiots these politicians have given so little for us. Inspite of that we scientists have done something," Rao said, losing his cool.
"Our investments are marginal, comes late.... for that money we have got, we have performed. For the money we have been getting it is not bad at all, after all this kind of money is nothing."
Asked about China progress, the scientist said that,"We also have to take blame on ourselves, Indians we don't work hard, we are not like Chinese. We are easy going and we are not as much nationalists...If we get some-more money we are ready to go abroad."
IT is not science; no scientific temper in the country
Eminent scientist and Bharat Ratna awardee C N R Rao today said Information Technology (IT) has nothing to do with science and rued there is no scientific temper in the country.
"IT (Information Technology) has nothing to do with Science. IT is only to make money for some people, and they are whole bunch of unhappy people working there," Rao told reporters here.
"....because I see everyday in paper somebody has committed suicide, somebody is killed, somebody is unhappy because life is terrible. Look at me I'm so happy at 80," he said in jest.
"I have no complaints, I think happiness is something different- you must enjoy what you are doing;....obviously they suffer to do their work, they don't enjoy. I don't think they enjoy their work," he added.
Asked about China progress, the scientist said that,"We also have to take blame on ourselves, Indians we don't work hard, we are not like Chinese. We are easy going and we are not as much nationalists...If we get some-more money we are ready to go abroad."
IT is not science; no scientific temper in the country
Eminent scientist and Bharat Ratna awardee C N R Rao today said Information Technology (IT) has nothing to do with science and rued there is no scientific temper in the country.
"IT (Information Technology) has nothing to do with Science. IT is only to make money for some people, and they are whole bunch of unhappy people working there," Rao told reporters here.
"....because I see everyday in paper somebody has committed suicide, somebody is killed, somebody is unhappy because life is terrible. Look at me I'm so happy at 80," he said in jest.
"I have no complaints, I think happiness is something different- you must enjoy what you are doing;....obviously they suffer to do their work, they don't enjoy. I don't think they enjoy their work," he added.
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