He was an academician, historian, and philanthropist. He was mentioned as “ The Saint of Science ”. Known as the “ Father of Indian Chemistry ”, Prof. Prafulla Chandra Ray, popularly known as Aacharya Prafulla Chandra Ray, was the founder of India’s first pharmaceutical company which is Bengal Chemicals and Pharmaceuticals Limited. Born on August 2, 1861 to Sri Harish Chandra Ray in Raruli-Katipara village in Khulna district (now in Bangladesh), Aacharya Ray completed his education is his village school till the age of 9. After attending the initial schooling at his village, he moved to Kolkata for further education at Hare School, Albert School, and Metropolitan College (later Vidyasagar College) where he joined as a Fine Arts student. Though his first love was literature, he was attracted towards chemistry after attending the lectures of Alexander Pedler at the Presidency College. After completing his FA diploma in 1881, he enrolled himself for the Bachelor of Arts course at Univer...
This is the story of India’s first women legislator. But why in science-blog I am mentioning a story of a legislator? Because …… She was not only a doctor. She was a fighter. Dr. Muthulakshmi Reddy (Reddi) was born on July 30, 1886 in Madras presidency of erstwhile British India. Her father was S. Narayanaswami, a Brahmin by caste was the principal of Maharaja`s College. Her mother Chandrammal belonged to the Isai Velala caste, a caste whose women danced and sang in temples (traditionally called Devadasi; I am not mentioning here but you must read about this tradition ). Her father was ostracized from his family since he married a devadasi. Narayanaswami, thus, came close to the family of his in-laws and also to the tradition and issues of the Devadasi community. Even then, S. Narayanaswami sent Muthulakshmi to school against the tradition. Witnessing the enthusiasm of child Muthulakshmi to learn, her teachers decided to teach her subjects beyond those instructed by her father....