The National Academy of Sciences, India

The National Academy of Sciences, India (Hindi: राष्ट्रीय विज्ञान अकादमी, भारत; established 1930) is the oldest Science Academy in India. It is located in Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh. The main objective of the Academy was to provide a national forum for the publication of research work carried out by Indian scientists and to provide opportunities for exchange of views among them.

India could Justly feel proud for its unique contributions to science in the ancient past. However, successive foreign invasions and alien rule for centuries pushed science in the background and the country went through with what may be described as the dark age for science. Western science attracted Indian intelligentsia after the establishment of the western system of education and the universities; and despite many constraints, the country could produce giants like Sir J.C. Bose & Acharya Prafulla Chandra Ray.

The 1st world war and the world-wide economic depression caused a setback to scientific research globally - much more so in India whose scientists found it difficult even to publish their research work since they had to be almost entirely dependent on foreign journals. The post world war India also saw the rise of the freedom movement which incidentally also drew attention to the numerous problems of the Indian populace like poverty, hunger, diseases, recurrent floods, droughts, famines etc. Patriotic scientists felt deeply concerned with these.

It was in this background that the idea of establishing a forum for scientists, which would help them in publishing their researches and bring them together to discuss and find scientific solutions to the problems of the country, was mooted by Prof. Meghnad Saha, a great scientist, patriot and then Professor of Physics at Allahabad University in 1929. His views were published in the article entitled 'A Plea for an Academy of Sciences' in the December 1929 issue of the Allahabad University magazine.

Thus, the National Academy of Sciences, India was founded in the year 1930, with the objectives to provide a national forum for the publication of research work carried out by Indian scientists and to provide opportunities for exchange of views among them. The Memorandum of Association was signed by seven distinguished and patriotic scientists namely Prof. Meghnad Saha, Prof. K.N. Bahl, Prof. D.R. Bhattacharya, Prof. P.C. MacMohan, Prof. A.C. Banerji, Prof. Ch. Wali Mohammad and Prof. N.R. Dhar. Of these, the Academy had the good fortune of having the continued association of Prof. N.R. Dhar until very lately when he expired on December 5, 1986 at the age of 96 years. Apart from being one of the founders of the Academy and taking continued interest in its welfare, Prof. Dhar also had donated the piece of land on which the Academy building stands today.

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