FAMOUS SCIENTISTS — MAJOR DISCOVERIES AND CONTRIBUTIONS TO SCIENCE

PRERNA FOR IAS

         Mehnat Aapki, Guidance Humari

         Roz ki Prelims Practice — Experts ke Saath

FAMOUS SCIENTISTS — MAJOR DISCOVERIES AND CONTRIBUTIONS TO SCIENCE

1. Importance of Scientists

• Scientific progress has transformed human understanding of matter, energy, life, medicine, agriculture, communication and space.
• India has produced several eminent scientists, while discoveries by international scientists have laid the foundations of modern physics, chemistry, medicine and technology.
• Their contributions should be understood not merely as isolated discoveries, but as building blocks of modern civilisation.

2. Sir C. V. Raman

• Sir Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman discovered the Raman Effect in 1928 while studying the scattering of light.
• The phenomenon explains how a small fraction of light changes wavelength after interacting with molecules.
• He received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1930, becoming the first Asian scientist to win a Nobel Prize in the physical sciences. (India Science)
• 28 February is celebrated in India as National Science Day to commemorate this discovery. (Department of Science and Technology)

3. Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam

• Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam was an aerospace scientist closely associated with India’s space and missile programmes.
• At ISRO, he led the SLV-3 project, which successfully placed the Rohini satellite into near-Earth orbit.
• At DRDO, he played a central role in the Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme (IGMDP) and became widely known as the “Missile Man of India.” (DRDO)
• He later served as the President of India from 2002 to 2007.

4. Dr. Homi Jehangir Bhabha

• Homi J. Bhabha was a pioneering nuclear physicist and a principal architect of India’s atomic-energy programme.
• He helped establish the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) and led the development of India’s institutional framework for nuclear science.
• The Atomic Energy Establishment at Trombay was later renamed Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) in his honour.
• His vision laid the foundation for India’s long-term nuclear research and energy capabilities.

5. Jagadish Chandra Bose