PC Ray: A genius chemist who dreamed of a modern India

Prafulla Chandra Ray

Source: Photograph © Historic Collection/Alamy Stock Photo; Frame © Swindler & Swindler @ Folio Art

Dinsa Sachan re-tells the story of the inorganic chemist who put Indian chemistry on the map

When he wasn’t teaching or immersed in research, Prafulla Chandra Ray sometimes sauntered into college hostels and gave his favourite students a pep talk or drew them into a discussion about social issues concerning India, which was suffering under British rule at the time. It may seem like an odd pastime for a chemistry professor, but Ray’s work and public life were shaped by the politically charged times he lived in.