Prafulla Chandra Ray

The 2nd of August 1861 saw the birth of the Indian chemist Prafulla Chandra Ray. Ray is often honoured as the “father of chemistry in India.” As a young man in Bengal, he had remarkable potential in his academic pursuits, and as a result, he was granted a scholarship to attend the University of Edinburgh in 1882. There, he first earned his Bachelor of Science degree and then went on to get his Doctor of Philosophy degree in 1887. When organic chemistry was all the rage, he decided to study inorganic chemistry and became an expert in mineral salts such as sulphates and nitrates. In this article, you will learn about Bengali Chemist Prafulla Chandra Ray and his Royal Society of Chemistry.

Prafulla Chandra Ray’s Early Life

Prafulla Chandra Ray was born on 2 Aug 1861 in a Brahmin family. He was the son of Harish Chandra Ray and Bhubanmohini Debi. He passed the Entrance Examination from the first division and joined the Presidency College. After passing his B.sc. Examination with Honours in Chemistry, he joined as a teacher in Calcutta’s City College. He was awarded an M.sc degree from Calcutta University and obtained the DSc degree from Edinburgh University for his thesis on ‘The Chemical Constituents of Asparagus’. Prafulla Chandra Ray was a great scientist, teacher, chemist and renowned scientist in India. He also contributed to the field of chemistry as well as world science. He was awarded many awards, including the Hope Prize award.

Prafulla Chandra Ray had studied at Presidency College, Kolkata. He demonstrated that alcohol could be made from pyruvic acid through fermentation using yeast during his college days. Prafulla Chandra Ray was born in a small village in Bengal, India. 

He had some education from a village pathshala, but he joined the Hare School and passed his Entrance Examination from the first division at the age of ten. After completing his bachelor’s degree, he joined Presidency College, Kolkata and received his master’s degree. He received his doctorate with high distinction at the University of Edinburgh.

Prafulla Chandra Ray’s Contribution to Swadeshi Movement

Prafulla Chandra Ray was an Indian chemist and educationist who made significant contributions to chemistry. He was the first person to synthesise mercury and also pioneered the use of mercury to treat skin diseases. He also discovered the element thallium. In addition to his scientific achievements, Ray was also a committed educationist and played a key role in establishing the Bengal Chemical and Pharmaceutical Works, the first Indian company to manufacture drugs and chemicals. He also wrote several popular science books, which helped to popularise science among the general public. Ray’s work laid the foundation for developing modern chemistry in India, and he is widely regarded as the father of Indian chemistry.

A nationwide appeal for the Swadeshi movement advocated the elimination of all purchases of British goods in favour of the exclusive use of Indian-made goods to foster the growth of India’s local manufacturing sector. Acharya Prafulla Chandra Roy was a prominent Bengali chemist, author, and industrialist. At that time, he moved into a rented house at 91 Upper Circular Road in Calcutta. In addition to this, the Company has 9 (nine) Sales Outlets and 2 (two) C & F Agencies located across the country of India. He launched a company named Bengal Chemicals & Pharmaceuticals Ltd (BCPL) with a meagre capital investment of Rs 700.00. (Seven Hundred only).

With the purpose of high-quality manufacturing drugs, pharmaceuticals, and chemicals using homegrown technology to satisfy the requirements of millions of ordinary people, encourage the expansion of Indian industries, contend with imported products, and reach a state of complete independence. It should be mentioned here that some of the products that were very popular during that period, such as fire extinguishers, surgical and hospital instruments, talcum powder, toothpaste, glycerin soap, carbolic soap, and so on, were eventually discarded because it was determined that the products were not profitable based on the current market scenario. 

He also founded several other companies like the National Tannery Works, Bengal Enamel Works, and Calcutta Pottery Works and promoted the khadi material and made it more widely available. He was a rationalist, and he was totally against the caste system and other illogical forms of social organisation. Up to the moment, he died away, and he remained steadfast in his commitment to advancing social change.

Conclusion:

Although organic chemistry was the more popular field, Prafulla Chandra Ray did this. In 1888, he relocated his family to India, and the following year, he was offered a teaching job at the Presidency College in Calcutta. Because he was Indian, he could not gain a career in the imperial service; this was an insult to him, and he took public objection to it. Ray was a devoted supporter of Bengali nationalism throughout his whole life, but he sadly did not survive long enough to see his goal of independence become a reality. In this article, You learned about Bengali Chemist Prafulla Chandra Ray.