Modern scientific breakthroughs

Built the crescograph to record how plants respond to light, heat, electricity and gravity, and showed that plants sense and respond to stimuli; also pioneered wireless transmission with millimetre waves.

‘Father of Modern Indian Chemistry’; founded India’s first pharmaceutical company in 1901, wrote on the history of chemistry in India and advocated teaching in the mother tongue.

Working with G. H. Hardy at Cambridge, he pointed out that 1729 is the smallest number expressible as the sum of two cubes in two different ways — now the Hardy–Ramanujan number. ‘Every positive integer was one of his personal friends,’ said Littlewood.

Pioneering astrophysicist who studied stars and their temperatures and gave the Saha equation; chaired the Calendar Reform Committee. The Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics in Kolkata is named after him.

The ‘Birdman of India’ travelled the country recording birds, their routes and habitats, helped conserve places such as Keoladeo (Bharatpur) and Ranganathittu, and wrote a landmark 10-book series on the birds of the Subcontinent.

Plant scientist who studied how water, temperature and the colour of light affect photosynthesis.

Botanist who, as head of the Botanical Survey of India, began programmes to document India’s plant diversity, and played a key role in the ‘Save Silent Valley’ movement.

Earned a Ph.D. at Cambridge for work on respiration in plants, later directed the Royal Institute of Science, Bombay, and worked to improve the nutritive value of plant foods — including neera from coconut-palm sap.

Biomedical researcher who studied how hormones and certain viruses are linked to cancer, and showed how tobacco, diet and pollution raise cancer risk.

Began nutrition research in India, analysed more than 500 Indian foods and recommended a diet suited to India; his surveys led to the Mid Day Meal Programme (2002).

The ‘Weather Woman of India’ invented and built many weather instruments, reducing India’s reliance on imports, and explored wind and solar energy.

Developed anti-epileptic and anti-malarial drugs from medicinal plants; the second Indian woman to earn a Doctorate of Science and the first woman to receive the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Award in chemical science.

Called the architect of the Green Revolution, and a recipient of the Bharat Ratna.

Scientist and statistician of international repute who founded the Indian Statistical Institute (1931) and led the drafting of the Second Five Year Plan.

Studied bacteria and in 1971 developed one that breaks down oil spills — showing how microbes can tackle pollution.

Doctor and scientist who, as Secretary of the Department of Biotechnology, played a key role in developing the Rotavirus vaccine that protects children from diarrhoea.