Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman was born in Trichinopoly (now Tiruchirappalli) in Tamil Nadu on November 7, 1888. He came from a well-educated family. In 1904, he stood first in the B.A. examination at Presidency College, Madras (now Chennai) and won a gold medal in Physics. Even during college, he had a deep interest in research, especially in optics and acoustics, which later became the foundation of his scientific career. He went on to hold high positions in scientific institutions in Kolkata and Bengaluru.

In 1922, he published his research on the “Molecular Diffraction of Light,” which began a series of experiments with his colleagues. This work led to his great discovery on February 28, 1928. His finding was so groundbreaking in the field of radiation that it was named the Raman Effect after him. For this discovery, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1930, becoming the first Asian scientist to receive this honour in Physics. Earlier, Rabindranath Tagore had received the Nobel Prize for Literature.

Dr. Raman received many national and international honours. He was elected Fellow of the Royal Society in 1924 and knighted in 1929. He remains the only Indian to have achieved both these distinctions. In 1954, he was awarded the Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian award. In 1949, he founded the Raman Research Institute in Bengaluru, where he served as director and continued his research with great dedication. He remained active in science until his last days. He passed away in Bengaluru on November 21, 1970, at the age of eighty-two.

Dr. C. V. Raman’s life and work remain a source of great pride for India. His discovery not only gave Indian science global recognition but also inspired future generations to pursue research and contribute to the progress of the nation.