Shanti Swaroop Bhatnagar by Pratim Das

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BORN TO BE REMEMBER AFTER 120 YEARS ... SHANTI SWAROOP BHATNAGAR .... COLOURED PENCIL ... 7INCH * 5 INCH ... 2014 ... Sir Shanti Swaroop Bhatnagar OBE, FRS (21 February 1894 – 1 January 1955) was a well-known Indian scientist, a professor of chemistry for over 19 years. He was the first director-general of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), and he is revered as the "father of research laboratories". He was also the first Chairman of the University Grants Commission (UGC). To honour his name and achievements, CSIR instituted an award Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize for Science and Technology, since 1958 for outstanding scientists who made significant contributions in various branches of science. Bhatnagar was born in Bhera, Punjab region of British India, in a Hindu kayastha family. His father, Parmeshwari Sahai Bhatnagar, died when he was eight months old and he spent his childhood in the house of his maternal grandfather, an engineer, from whom he developed a liking for science and engineering. He used to enjoy building mechanical toys, electronic batteries, string telephones. From his maternal family he also inherited a gift of poetry. Bhatnagar was awarded a scholarship by the Dyal Singh College Trust to study abroad. Therefore he left for America via England. But as luck would have it, in England he could not find a berth on ships as they were all reserved for American troops who were then being demobilised due to the First World War. The Trustee permitted him to join the University College London under chemistry professor Frederick G. Donnan. He earned his DSc in 1921. While in London, he was additionally supported by the British Department of Scientific and Industrial Research with fellowship of £250 a year. For his excellent contributions to pure and applied chemistry, Bhatnagar was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 1936 New Year Honours List. He was knighted in the 1941 New Year Honours List for hi