CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory (CSIR-NCL), Pune, celebrated India’s 76th Independence Day. On this occasion, Dr Ashish Lele, Director, CSIR-NCL, hoisted the Indian flag and said that Science and Scientists play a vital role for any nation to progress on the right path and protect it. He urged everyone to give their best in work and perform efficiently. 

Chief Guest of the programme, Shri Jayant Sahasrabudhe, National Organising Secretary of Vigyan Bharati, rendered a talk on the topic “Role of Science and Scientists in India’s freedom struggle.” 

Many dignitaries were present for this programme including Dr Shekhar C. Mande, President, Vigyan Bharati. Also a book written by him on the topic “Indian Science and Role of Indian Scientists in Freedom Struggle” was released by Dr Mande.

The programme was hosted by Dr Swati Chadha, Hindi officer, CSIR-NCL. Awards were given to winners of the Drawing and Science Model-making competition organised to mark the celebration of the 76th Independence Day.

Shri Sahasrabudhe said that the freedom movement was not only fought by political and social leaders, but scientific leaders were also actively involved in it. The freedom struggle meant a lot for every Indian. He added that science and Indian scientists played a key role in the freedom movement. Further, he emphasised that India has been the source of knowledge for the entire world since ancient times. He reminded the attendees about the role played by Acharya Prafulla Chandra Ray, Mahendralal Sarkar, Jagdish Chandra Bose, Swami Vivekananda, Bankim Chandra Chatterjee, Dr C.V. Raman, and Madan Mohan Malaviya. He talked about how they used science as a tool to fight for freedom. 

Shri Sahasrabudhe talked about Jagdish Chandra Bose who opted to teach science without any salary continuously for three years in an educational institute governed by the British as they did not consider Indians eligible for science tutoring. It was a strong protest in a unique manner, many years before Mahatma Gandhi initiated the Champaran Satyagraha of 1917. 

He described how the British rule was established in India. Many institutions like the Botanical Survey of India, Anthropological Survey of India, and Economic Survey of India were founded to fulfil other interests. Acharya Prafulla Chandra Ray studied at Edinburgh University, where he participated in an essay competition and presented an essay on “India after and before the mutiny.” 

After completing his studies Acharya Prafulla Ray preferred to return to India and opted to teach science to the natives throughout his life. He laid down the foundation of the chemical industry in India. Shri Sahasrabudhe informed that some of the leading Indian scientists created the Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science (IACS) at that time for promoting science done only by the “natives”. Dr C.V. Raman’s Nobel Prize-winning work was done at IACS. He was the first non-white skin scientist to win the Nobel Prize. And while accepting the Nobel Prize, he expressed grief that he was not able to receive the prize under the flag of independent India. Indian Institute of Science was created by the active persuasion of Bhagini Nivedita, a British-born national, he said.