A CENTURY AND MORE
MAY 27, 2020
INDIAN INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE TURNS 111
Architectural
Plan of the IISc Main Building (Architect Charles F Stevens)
May
4th 2020 was a landmark day for the Indian Institute of Science
(IISc), Bangalore,
IISc
opened its Covid-19 testing laboratory, the first Research and Educational
Institute in the Country to do so. A happy coincidence, since IISc was founded
in May, to be precise on May 27, 1909.
Leading
from the front, IISc has initiated several timely research and technology
development projects to address the problems arising from the current Covid-19
pandemic. These include the development of - 3D printed Valves for split use of
Ventilators to serve multiple patients, Oxygen Generator, Drones for
disinfection, CovidWatch a monitoring tool for regions with low smartphone
penetration and many more. A complete list of innovations are available at
IISc's Covid-19 website.
Mr.
Jamsetji Nusserwanji Tata would have been proud of the contributions of the
Faculty and Students of the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, for their
efforts in furthering the frontiers
of Science and Technology for the benefit of humankind.
The Beginning: Indian Institute of Science
Jamsetji Nusserwanji Tata (1839-1904) was a
true visionary, who even before the dawn of the 20th century,
understood that the progress of this country depended crucially on higher
education. Almost alone in his generation, he realized that if the economic
foundations of Indian society were to be secure, science and technology must be
harnessed to utilize the vast natural resources of our country.
Jamsetji Nusserwanji Tata – Founder – IISc
The
Indian Institute of Science owes its origin to the patriotic and
far-sighted businessperson who was convinced of the need for a national level
institution devoted to original investigations in all branches of learning and
their applications for the benefit of humanity in general and India in
particular.
A
century and more later, IISc has evolved into India’s premier center for
research and postgraduate education in science and engineering in the Country,
an Institute tempered by history and time and yet retained its position as an “Institution
of Excellence”.
The
Institute occupies nearly 400 acres of prime land in Bangalore, generously
donated by the His Highness Nalawadi Krishnaraja Wodeyar the then Maharaja of
Mysore in March 1907.
His Highness Nalawadi Krishnraja Wodeyar
Maharaja of Mysore
Indeed
the contribution from the Princely State of Mysore was the decisive element in
determining the location of J.N.Tata’s proposed Institute in the city of
Bangalore. Mention must be made of the contribution of Dewan K.Seshadri Iyer
who ably assisted the Maharaja on this issue. Among the many factors that
favoured Bangalore were its salubrious climate, availability of abundant
natural mineral resources and unlimited power from the Shivasamudram Power
Station.
Aerial Shot of the Indian Institute of Science Campus,
Bangalore
J.N.Tata did not want his name to be
associated with the Institute; his dream was to create an institution that
would contribute to the development of India. The name Indian Institute of Science
was finally chosen, reflecting in every way the wishes of its Founder.
Morris
Travers First Director of IISc
With
the appointment of Morris Travers as the Institute’s First Director in 1906,
the process of implementing Jamsetji’s vision began in full swing and the dream
of one man with a vision in the 1890’s, finally came true when the Vesting
Order of the establishment of the Institute was issued on May 27, 1909.
The
Institute began with two departments (1) General and Applied chemistry and (2)
Electro Technology and the first batch of students were admitted into the
Institute in 1912.
Department of General and Applied Chemistry
Department of Electro Technology
The First Batch of Students and Staff
The departments of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry
were soon added. Early research work in these departments focused on several
local industrial problems – such as sandalwood oil extraction, setting up of an
Acetone factory and a Lac manufacturing unit and more.
The Growth:
As the Institute has grown, several new areas
of research have been added in tune with changing times. The Institute’s
departments in fields ranging from Aerospace Engineering and High Voltage
Engineering to Biochemistry have served to nucleate research and development in
both the public and private sectors in the country. The Central Power Research
Institute (CPRI) Bangalore, the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) Bangalore,
the National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL) Bangalore, the National Centre for
Biological Sciences (NCBS), the Central Food and Technological Research
Institute (CFTRI) Mysore, and the
Karnataka Soaps and Detergents Limited, Bangalore, to name a few, owe their
origin to the Institute.
The
faculty and alumni of the Institute have been responsible for establishing and
spearheading many new Institutions and programs across the country. Homi Bhabha conceived of the idea of the Tata
Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) while working at IISc’s Department of
Physics. Vikram Sarabhai, the founder of
India’s space program worked under Prof C V Raman at IISc.
The
indigenously developed Light Combat Aircraft (LCA)-TEJAS had its origins at
IISc. Scientists at the Aerospace Engineering Department designed, developed
and tested the first Radio Controlled model of the LCA at IISc’s airfield.
Representational Image Light Combat Aircraft – TEJAS.
Many
of India’s most distinguished scientists have been associated with the
Institute. Notable among them are G. N. Ramachandran,
Harish Chandra, Satish Dhawan, Arcot Ramachandran, Roddam Narasimha and C. N. R.
Rao. A large number of the alumni of the Institute have gone on to head several
major Organizations, Institutions and Companies both in India and abroad.
IISc Centenary Commemorative Stamp
In the century that has passed since
its inception. IISc has grown to become India’s premier centre for Research and
Post-Graduate Education in Science and Engineering. The evolution of the
Institute over the past one hundred and Eleven years has mirrored the
development of Science and Technology in India.
Then and Now:
The Iconic IISc Main Building - Photo by Sharath Ahuja
IISc
in its new avatar emphasizes
“Discover
and Innovate; Transform and Transcend; Serve and Lead” and towards this
endeavor, IISc has initiated many new academic programs; notable among them are
the interdisciplinary Ph.D. programs in Mathematical Sciences, Chemical
Biology, Earth Sciences, Nanoscience, Nanotechnology and Nano-engineering for
Integrated Systems. An M.Tech program in Climate Science and new Centers for
Earth Sciences and Climate Change and an M.Tech in Artificial Intelligence
(AI), A Centre for Science and Policy and a Department of Computational and
Data Sciences.
IISc has a Faculty/Scientific Staff
strength of around 500 and a student population of around 4200, of which there
are about 2700 doctoral students, 1000 Master’s students in the engineering
disciplines, and about 450 students pursuing BSc (Research), a four-year,
research-oriented undergraduate programme in the sciences.
IISc has several on-going research
collaborations with Universities/Institutions/Companies, both from within the
Country and Abroad and is one of the premier institutions in the world with
more than a hundred illustrious years of history in the creation of original
knowledge for furthering the frontiers of Science and Technology for the
benefit of humankind.
Dorab Tata and Meherbai Tata
Photo Courtesy Tata
Group
A silken connection to Bangalore and IISc
was established early in its history with the setting up of the Tata Silk Farm
and when the elder son of J. N. Tata – Mr. Dorab Tata, married a Bangalore girl
- Meherbai the daughter of H. J. Bhabha the then Inspector General of Education
in Mysore and Coorg.
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