Pramatha Nath Bose

Pramatha Nath Bose (1855–1934) was a pioneering Indian geologist and paleontologist. P. N. Bose was educated at Krishnagar College and later at St. Xavier's College of the University of Calcutta when he obtained a Gilchrist scholarship to study in London in 1874. During his study at Cambridge he became a friend of Rabindranath Tagore. He was one of the early Indians to join the Geological Survey of India as a graded officer. His initial work was on the Siwalik fossils. He is credited with the discovery of petroleum in Assam and the setting up of the first soap factory in India and was instrumental in the setting up of Jamshedpur by writing to J. N. Tata about the rich iron ore reserves.

Born on May 12, 1855 in a remote village of Gaipur, near Gobardanga, in 24 Parganas district, West Bengal, geologist PN Bose graduated in science from London University and passed out from the Royal School of Mines the following year in 1878. During his years as geologist, he discovered iron ore mines in Dhulli and Rajhara in Madhya Pradesh. The most outstanding achievement of his life was the discovery of iron ore deposits in the hills of Gorumahisani in the state of Mayurbhanj. Following the discovery, PN Bose wrote a letter to JN Tata on February 24, 1904, which led to the establishment of Tata Iron and Steel Company at Sakchi.

Bose has several firsts to his credit. He was the first Indian graduate in science from a British University; first to discover petroleum in Assam; first to set up a soap factory in India and also the first to introduce micro sections as an aid to petrological work. He was also the first Indian to hold a graded position in the Geological Survey of India where he served with distinction. As a man of science, he had constantly taken up the cause of technical education in the country. His efforts also catalysed the foundation of the Bengal Technical Institute which is better known as the Jadavpur University today of which Bose was the first honorary principal. Pramatha Nath married Kamala Dutt, daughter of Romesh Chunder Dutt, a President of the Congress party and an Indian civil servant, economic historian and writer, on July 24, 1882. One of his Sons Director Madhu Bose was married to actress - dancer Sadhana Sen, later Sadhana Bose (Grand daughter of Keshab Chandra Sen). A grandson of Pramatha Nath Bose is Indian Filmmaker Amit Bose.

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