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Kedareswar Banerjee

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Kedareswar Banerjee
Born(1900-09-15)15 September 1900
Sthal, Bikrampur, British India (now in Bangladesh)
Died(1975-04-30)30 April 1975
Barasat, Calcutta, West Bengal, India
Alma materUniversity of Calcutta
Known forX-ray Crystallographic
Scientific career
FieldsX-ray crystallography
InstitutionsUniversity of Allahabad
India Meteorological Department
University of Dhaka
Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science
Notable studentsShri Krishna Joshi

Kedareswar Banerjee (15 September 1900 – 30 April 1975) was an X-ray crystallographer and director of the Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science, Kolkata.[1][2] Early in his career he determined the structures of naphthalene and anthracene. In 1931, he worked with Sir William Henry Bragg and developed one of the first direct methods of crystal structure determination. He was Professor of Physics at the Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science from 1943 to 1952 and Director of the Association from 1959 until his retirement in 1965. Between 1952 and 1959 he was Head of the Department of Physics at Allahabad University.[3][4] His interests in crystallography were widespread and, with his death, India has lost a renowned teacher. K. Banerjee joined the research group of Sir C. V. Raman at the Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science (IACS), Calcutta, a premier Indian research institute of India.[5] He worked in various institutions including IACS, the India Meteorological Department, University of Dhaka and Allahabad University and finally retired as the Director of IACS, Calcutta in 1965. Prof. Banerjee explained some points of crystal research to Homi J. Bhabha (21 Dec 1956) also.[6][7]

Honors and awards

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Allahabad University honoured Banerjee by establishing an atmospheric and ocean science centre in his name, K. Banerjee Centre of Atmospheric and Ocean Studies in 2000.[8][9][10][11]

He was elected Fellow of The National Academy of Sciences, India[12] and Indian Academy of Sciences.[13] He was the sectional President for Physical Science Group at the Indian Science Congress in 1947, vice-president of NASc during 1958–1960 and General President NASc in 1967. He was a member of the first National Commission for Cooperation with UNESCO during 1947–1951, a member of the Scientific Advisory Committee of the Planning Commission (India) during 1953–1956 and a member of the review committees and advisory boards of several national laboratories. In 1948, he was invited as a 'Guest of Honour' to the Inaugural Conference and General Assembly of the International Union of Crystallography.[14][15][16]

As first crystallographer of India

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Banerjee laid the foundation of X-ray Crystallographic research in India.[17][18][19] In 1924, when only a few crystal structures had been determined throughout the world, Banerjee's work on the determination of atomic arrangements in crystalline naphthalene and anthracene received international attention. Banerjee was awarded the DSc degree of the University of Calcutta in 1930.[20] He had close associations with almost all the leading crystallographers of his time including William Henry Bragg, William Lawrence Bragg, Paul Peter Ewald, John Desmond Bernal, Nikolay Vasilyevich Belov, J. M. Robertson, K. Lonsdale and Melvin Avrami (who known for his Avrami equation of phase transition). In 1933, Banerjee proposed a new approach to the crystallographic phase problem, which not only broke new ground beyond the 'trial and error' structure solution method of that time, but also heralded the extremely powerful direct methods of crystallography of the modern era.[21] His seminal paper (Proc. Roy. Soc., 1933, 141, 188) on direct methods was cited in the Nobel Lecture of Dr. Jerome Karle in 1985.[22] Apart from structural X-ray crystallography, Banerjee's research pursuits covered a wide field of crystal physics.[23] His research contributions in various fields including low angle scattering, thermal diffuse scattering of X-rays from crystals, diffraction of X-rays by liquids.,[24] jute fibre and organic polymers, structures of coal and glass, determination of the elastic constants of crystals by X-rays, theoretical modelling of the vibrational spectra of crystal lattices and some topics in crystal optics have received international recognition. Perhaps his most significant contribution to the advancement of science in India was the creation of active schools of research wherever he went leaving behind a band of young, energetic research workers who became the torch bearers of his scientific tradition. Apart from being a stellar scientist, Prof. Banerjee possessed a rare and pleasing personality. He was extremely kind and affectionate yet strong in his convictions. He lived a life of noble deeds and thoughts that brought him self-composure, freedom from fear and made him a truly international scientist.[25][26][27]

Personal life

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He was born in Bengali Brahmin family on 15 September 1900 in Sthal (Pabna), Vikrampur Dacca (now in Bangladesh).[28] He was educated at Jubilee School, Dacca, and then at the well-known Rajabazar Science College campus of University of Calcutta, for his postgraduate, and doctoral degrees in science. His thesis was " Some Problems in Structures of Solid and Liquids" (Cl. V. Raman). He was a reader in physics at the University of Dhaka (1934–43), and a professor of physics at the Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science, in Calcutta (1943–62), a professor of physics at Allahabad University (1952–69), and a director of the Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science.[29] He died on 30 April 1975 at Barasat, a suburb of Calcutta.[30][31][32][33] Kedareswar stands for "Lord Shiva" in Bengali.

References

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  1. ^ “K Banerjee was Reader, University of Dacca; Mahendra Lal Sircar Professor (1943-52), Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science (IACS), Kolkata; Professor & Head, Department of Physics, University of Allahabad (1952-59); and Director, IACS (1959)”. Professor Banerjee Director at Indian Association of Cultivation of Science
  2. ^ "K Banerjee Birth Centenary Celebration Committee, Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science (IACS)". Prof. K Banerjee was a pioneer in X-Ray Crystallography Research in India
  3. ^ "Professor Banerjee's letter to Noble Prize committee in favour of Bose". this letter was written when he was HEAD of the Department of Physics, University of Allahabad
  4. ^ "Professor Banejee, a eminent scientist in crystallography describing national new article at Allahabad". Professor Banerjee remembered as eminent crystalographer
  5. ^ "Raman's legacy of excellence in physics was aptly carried forward in IACS first by Professor K.S. Krishnan and later by Professor Kedareshwar Banerjee".Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science (IACS)'s page describing contribution of Professor Banerjee
  6. ^ “Professor Kedareswar Banerjee – The Crystallographer (15 September 1900 – 30 April 1975)”. Professor Kedareswar Banerjee a brief Introduction from IUCR web page
  7. ^ “Kedareswar Banerjee” Archived 4 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine. From IISc Bangore web page
  8. ^ " Kedareswar (K.) Banerjee Centre at University of Allahabad". K. Banerjee Centre of Atmospheric and Ocean Studies Establishment
  9. ^ "Kedareswar Banerjee Centre of Atmospheric and Ocean Studies on Allahabad University". Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 22 January 2013.
  10. ^ "K. Banerjee Centre of Atmospheric and Ocean Studies (KBCAOS) detail description at International Centre for the Theoratical Physics (ICTP)". (PDF) International Centre for the Theoratical Physics source
  11. ^ "KBCAOS: K. Banerjee Centre, described link on the University of Allahabad official web page link". KBCAOS, University of Allahabad web page
  12. ^ “K Banerjee Fellow page at the National Academy of Sciences ”. Professor Banerjee Fellow of the National Academy of Sciences and Director at Indian Association of Cultivation of Science
  13. ^ "Professor Banerjee Fellow page at the Indian Academy of Science Banglore". Professor Banerjee fellow page at Indian Academy of Science, Bangalore
  14. ^ Professor Kedareswar Banerjee – The Crystallographer (15 September 1900 – 30 April 1975).
  15. ^ Kedareswar Banerjee Archived 4 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine.
  16. ^ K Banerjee
  17. ^ "Journal of IISc describing Professor Banerjee as X-ray Crystalographer".Professor Banerjee Crystalographer
  18. ^ Sarmaa, Bipul; Nangiab, Ashwini (2014). "Chemical Crystallography in India— From Naphthalene to Gleevec". Journal of the Indian Institute of Science. 94 (1). CiteSeerX 10.1.1.871.2375.
  19. ^ Dasgupta, Prabal (2017). "Professor G. B. Mitra (1923–2017)". Journal of Applied Crystallography. 50 (5): 1560. doi:10.1107/S1600576717012493.
  20. ^ Mande, Shekhar (2014). "Early developments in crystallography". Resonance. 19 (12): 1077–1086. doi:10.1007/s12045-014-0133-8. S2CID 255484960. This article of Dr. Shekhar Mande, at present DG, CSIR, Govt. of India stated that it has been more than 100 years since the discovery of X-ray diffraction by crystals. The evolution of this technique has transformed our understanding of Nature very profoundly. In India, the early proponents of this area of research were Kedareshwar Banerjee, A R Verma, S Ramaseshan and G N Ramachandran, etc. In this article, contributions of some of them are highlighted
  21. ^ "National Centre for Cell Science article stated Professor Banerjee". Professor Banerjee, a Crystalographer's contribution praised
  22. ^ "Professor Banerjee Crystallographer of India".Professor Banerjee Crystallographer
  23. ^ "Shekhar Mande article describing Professor Banerjee Cryptographer". Professor Banerjee Cryptographer
  24. ^ Banerjee, Kedareswar (1931). "Relation of the Liquid to the Crystalline State". Nature. 127 (3194): 92–93. doi:10.1038/127092c0. S2CID 4076790.
  25. ^ “Professor Kedareswar Banerjee – The Crystallographer (15 September 1900 – 30 April 1975)”. Professor Kedareswar Banerjee's works from IUCR web page
  26. ^ “Kedareswar Banerjee” Archived 4 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine. Professor Kedareswar Banerjee's works from IISc Bangore web page
  27. ^ “ K Banerjee was fellow of IAS, Bangalore. Brief Biography
  28. ^ "Kedareswar Banerjee's BIOGRAPHY ARTICLE IN NEWS PAPER". Biography of Kedareswar Banerjee
  29. ^ “K Banerjee was Reader, University of Dacca; Mahendra Lal Sircar Professor (1943-52), Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science (IACS), Kolkata; Professor & Head, Department of Physics, University of Allahabad (1952-59); and Director, IACS (1959)”. Professor Banerjee Director at Indian Association of Cultivation of Science
  30. ^ “Banerjee, Kedareswar’s Biography on IUCR web page”. Kedareshwar Banerjee
  31. ^ “ K Banerjee was fellow of IAS, Bangalore. Brief Biography
  32. ^ “K Banerjee pioneered the early development of the direct method of crystallography” Archived 3 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine. From Indian Association of Cultivation of Science official web page history
  33. ^ “Prominent Personalities of Munshiganj (Bikrampur) District of Bangladesh: A Campaign for Public Exposure”. Kedareshwar Banerjee was from Munshiganj (Bikrampur) District of Bangladesh
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