Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman, widely called C.V. Raman, is one of the renowned Indian physicists who made remarkable advances in light scattering. He was born on 7th November 1888 in Tiruchirapalli, Tamil Nadu. He became the first Indian physicist to be awarded The Nobel Prize in Physics in 1930 for elucidating the mechanism of light scattering called the Raman Effect, which has extensive applications in the various branches of science.

C.V. Raman Childhood, family and education 

C.V. Raman was born into a Tamil Brahmin family with a strong educational background. His father, Chandrasekhara Iyer, was a mathematics and physics lecturer and this could explain Raman’s early inclination towards science. He was 11 when he finished matriculation and enrolled at the Presidency College in Madras (now in Chennai) for higher studies. He did well academically and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in 1904 with first class in physics and English. In 1907, he was awarded a Master of Arts degree with first-class honours.

As much as he adored hard science work, Raman relented in 1907 in the Indian Finance Service considering that there were little green pastures in the scientific field within colonial India. Despite being a science fanatic, the post that he took as an Assistant Accountant General in Kolkata allowed him to join the Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science where he has spent his leisure time pursuing his passion. After all, Raman was never the kind to easily buckle under pressure.

It was only a matter of time before his experiments drew the eye of the scientific society. During this time he started publishing research papers on acoustics, instruments, and optics during this time and his scattered efforts sowed the seeds for what was to come. 

To him, the most remarkable jewel in the ring of physics came when in 1928 he discovered what is now known as the Raman Effect. While not as widely known, this system is only activated when light goes through a light scatter medium – which light does. As such, this effect allows for the determination of molecular substance composition and how light interacts with small particles.

In circular polarization, finally using the specimen of sodium chloride, C. – v. Raman and N. – M. Dutt were able to explore the statistics of emissions, and it was discovered that a rather small part of dispersive radiation is characterized by wavelengths that are different from the wavelengths of the original light source. The said scattering is not explained in classical Einstein´s considerations of Rayleigh scattering. This finding changed the way light scattering was understood and paved new frontiers in the boundary areas of molecular spectroscopy.   

C.V.Raman: Nobel Prize and Recognition 

C.V. Raman was presented the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1930 for his invention of the Raman Effect and he emerged as the first Asian scientist to receive the Nobel award in Sciences. His achievement not only earned Indian science respect on a global level but also acted as a motivation to Indian researchers and scientists for thousands of years.  

  The Raman Effect gained its applications in the later years in areas such as Chemistry and Biology, as well as in the field of Medicine. An analytical method called Raman spectroscopy that is founded on the use of this effect has grown to be a commonplace method for both identifying molecular structure and characterizing material in areas of science research. 

C.V.Raman: Later Career and Contributions 

  C.V Raman’s representation won the 1930 Nobel Prize in Physics but the outcome of it didn’t lead him to conclude his line of research, rather he delved into crystal dynamics, acoustics and optics and made some significant contributions. From 1933 to 1937 he was the Director of the Indian Institute of Science ( IISc ), Bangalore, during which IISc developed into one of the best research institutions of its time.

In Bangalore, he established the Raman Research Institute (RRI) in 1948, which transformed into a centre for scientific development in India. He continued his experimental work and supervised younger scientists until his lifetime.

C.V.Raman: Life and Achievements

C.V. Raman’s spouse, Lokasundari Ammal, gave birth to two children solely. Among them, who became a physicist and achieved success in the discipline.

Himani’s legacy teaches so much to people, whether in India or other countries. Every year in India, National Science Day is held on February 28, as a remembrance of C. V. Ramans’ work of discovering the Raman Effect. His lifestyle gives importance to curiosity, persistence, and a large degree of scientific mathematical capabilities.

Conclusion

On an international level, the work done by C.V. Raman remained particularly in the discipline of Physics, including the invention of the Raman Effect earned him a great impact. Such tremendous efforts earned him a Nobel Prize and later promoted India in the sphere of science further. C.V. Raman’s life story and work continue to serve as motivation to future scientists who wish to dig deeper into knowledge because they are constantly reminded of how helpful curiosity and determination can be.