Acharya Prafulla Chandra Ray - father chemical industry

"The Laboratory of Sir P.C. Ray is the nursery of the young chemists of New India." Such was the tribute paid to him by the well-known French scholar Sylvan Levi.

Acharya Prafulla Chandra Ray was born on 2nd August 1861 in Raruli-Katipara, a village in the District of Khulna in Bangladesh. Prafulla Chandra Ray is respected as the father of the Indian chemical industry.

Great Contribution: He succeeded in isolating mercurous nitrite, which brought him fame and recognition. Later, Ray and his co-workers stuidied compounds of metallic elements with organic sulphur derivatives, particularly mercaptans and sulphides. In, addition they succeeded in preparing and characterizing various compounds of zinc, cadmium, mercuric iodide, etc.

Awards: He worked hard to set up, at a surprisingly low cost, 'The Bengal Chemicals And Pharmaceutical Works Ltd.' using locally available materials. Equally importantly, he inspired a generation of young chemists in India thereby building up an Indian school of chemistry. Ray strove for the development of the state of Bengal. The monumental work "History of Hindu Chemistry" bears testimony to his knowledge of history and science and love of literature. Ray rightly earned the title 'Acharya' for his service and sacrifice for science, society and chemical industry in India. Ray's popular book is "Life and Experience OF A Bengali Chemist".

He was an embodiment of Indian culture and wanted to re-born only in India to complete the unfinished services to his countrymen. Ray passed away on 16th June 1944....More >>>