Dr. Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar and the research in CSIR, TIFR and the Universities Arun Kumar Grover* Panjab University, Chandigarh -160014 *On leave of absence from Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) , Mumbai - 400005 58th DAE-SSPS , December 17, 2013 Thapar University, Patiala ABSTRACT (cid:1) Professor S.S. Bhatnagar, the first Research Professor in Chemistry at Banaras Hindu University (1921-24), and the founder Director of University Chemical Laboratories at University of Punjab at Lahore (1925-40), was invited to assume the Directorship of Board of Scientific and Industrial Research (BSIR) in colonial India. His vision eventually nucleated the CSIR in 1942 to shore up the Second World War efforts. A Committee for Atomic Research with Dr. Homi Bhabha as Chairman was set up within CSIR soon after the dropping of two nuclear bombs by U.S. in Japan. (cid:1) Dr. S.S. Bhatnagar, FRS went on to be appointed as the first Indian Secretary of Department of Higher Education of Government of India after Indian independence. Dr. Bhatnagar had recognized the potential of Dr. Homi Bhabha, FRS to build modern India via the development of Atomic Energy Programme. The two titans of science worked in close synergy under the patronage of Prime Minister Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru and his stalwart Education Minister Maulana Abul Kalam Azad. Dr. Bhatnagar headed the CSIR as well as the newly created UGC (in November 1953) at the time of his sudden passing away on January 1, 1955. (cid:1) A personal assessment on the contributions of Dr. Bhatnagar and Dr. Bhabha to build large scale scientific research and human resource development in India shall be presented. Regulation of Education in colonial India (cid:1) 1849: British annex Punjab & establish control entire Indian sub-continent (cid:1) 1854: Enunciation of Education Policy, education in schools to be monitored (cid:1) 1856: D.P.I., Punjab to regulate School Education from Delhi to Peshawar (cid:1) 1857: Commencement of Universities at Calcutta, Bombay and Madras as affiliating and Examination bodies Univ. Entrance Examinations initiated Situation in Punjab ~ 1860 (cid:1) 1861: Only 4 students from Punjab qualify Entrance Exam of Calcutta University , (cid:1) There was no College in Punjab till 1964 College Education in Punjab: 1864-1902 (cid:1) Jan., 1864: Govt. Colleges at Lahore (GCL) and Delhi, the latter fold up in 1877 merged with GCL (cid:1) Dec., 1869: Punjab Univ. Constituent College (PUCL) Lahore, appended to GCL (cid:1) Oct 14, 1882: University of Punjab at Lahore, centered around GCL & PUCL, and affiliating other colleges, like, Oriental College, Law School, St Stephen’s (Delhi), etc. (cid:1) 1886: DAV College, Lahore, Forman Christian College, Lahore 1887: Mahindra College, Patiala 1901-02: 15 Colleges affiliated to P.U. at Lahore Higher Education 1904 onwards (cid:1) 1904: Indian Universities Act (cid:1) Universities empowered to appoint Professors & Lecturers & to undertake Research (cid:1) 1904 onwards: College Teachers given sabbatical leave to go abroad for research (cid:1) Eminent teachers invited from Britain for extended stays at Indian Universities Scene at University of Punjab at Lahore (cid:1) 1912: Astronomical Observatory set up at Lahore (cid:1) 1916: M.Sc. Degree instituted (cid:1) 1919: Hons Schools ( inegrated BSc/BA. & MSc/MA started in Oriental Languages, History, Mathematics, Chemistry, Botany & Zoology Mr. A W Woolner is first Dean, S R Kashyap is Prof. of Botany, Dewan Anand Kumar of Biology, Gopal Singh Chawla of Mathematics (cid:1) 1920s: Faculty of Commerce Instituted. (cid:1) Dr. S S Bhatnagar appointed founder Director of University Chemical Laboratories & Professor of Physical Chemistry in 1924 1925-39 Dr. S S Bhatnagar made pioneering contributions in fundamental research, applications to industry & consultancy Indian Scientists Contemporaries of Dr. S S Bhatnagar at Lahore: Botany: Prof S R Kashyap ( Dr Birbal Sahni, Dr A C Joshi, Dr P N Mehra, Dr M S Randhawa) Zoology: Prof Vishwanath, Diwan Anand Kumar Chemistry: Prof Kartar Singh Bawa, Dr. Sri Krishna, Dr. Mata Prasad Physics: Dr. Nazir Ahmed, Dr. P K Kitchlew, Dr Piara Singh Gill Nobel Laureate A H Compton had visited Lahore on invitation from PU and conducted Cosmic Ray explorations at Gulmarg along with Dr. S. S. Bhatnagar and Dr. Nazir Ahmed (a Ph.D student of Rutherford). Contemporaries of Dr. S S Bhatnagar at Lahore … Mathematics: Prof Sarvadaman Singh Chowla (students of Chowla: R P Bambah, F C Kohli, Abdus Salam) Agriculture: Khan Bahadur Mian Mohammad Afzal Hussain, First full time Vice Chancellor of University of Punjab at Lahore (1938-44) & Foundation Fellow of National Institute of Sciences (INSA) in 1934, along with Dr. S S Bhatnagar