Wednesday 27 May 2020

A CENTURY AND MORE MAY 27, 2020 INDIAN INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE TURNS 111

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
Photo by Sharath Ahuja


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
Photo Courtesy - Wikipedia
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
Photo Courtesy - Tata Central Archives


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.
Photo Courtesy – Wikipedia

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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2 comments:

  1. It amazes me no end to be reminded that I am only 33 years 'younger' than the IISc!

    S. N. Balasubrahmanyam

    ReplyDelete
  2. Sharath - fancy finding you here by chancing upon your blog! Thanks very much for putting this together and sharing with the world.
    I hope you are going well. Not sure if you do remember me

    Anil

    ReplyDelete