Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Award

Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar was a great Indian scientist and is known as ‘The Father of Research Laboratories’. He was also the Founder-Director of the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR).His contributions to the magnetochemistry and physical chemistry of emulsions were widely acknowledged. Dr. Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar also did commendable work in applied chemistry. In his honor, the prestigious "Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar (SSB) Prize for Science & Technology" was established.

Life of Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar

Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar was born on February 21, 1894, in Bhera, Punjab (now in Pakistan). At an early age, he developed an interest in engineering and science, geometry and algebra, and in making mechanical toys.

Education and Career

Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar enrolled at Forman Christian College in 1913 to pursue a BSc degree. He studied physics and chemistry. In 1921, he went to England to complete his DSc (Doctor of Science) at London University after finishing his Master's degree.

• Bhatnagar returned to India in 1921, joined Banaras Hindu University, and created an active school of physico-chemical research.

Contribution of Shanti Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar

Dr. Bhatnagar played a significant role in building post-independent Science and Technology infrastructure and in the formulation of India’s Science and Technology policies.

• He held a number of important positions in the Government:
  • First chairman of the University Grants Commission (UGC).
  • Secretary of the Ministry of Education and the Government's Educational Advisor
  • Secretary of the Atomic Energy Commission
  • First Secretary to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Scientific Research
• He played a significant role in the establishment of India's National Research Development Corporation (NRDC).
• After Independence, he was an ardent proponent of industrial research, and his negotiations with the oil industries resulted in the establishment of several oil refineries in India.

Contribution to Chemistry

His contributions to magnetochemistry and the physical chemistry of emulsions were widely acknowledged.

• Magnetic Chemistry: Bhatnagar and K.N. Mathur jointly invented the Bhatnagar-Mathur Magnetic Interference Balance in 1928.
  • It was one of the most sensitive instruments for determining magnetic properties.
• Work in applied and industrial chemistry:
  • The first industrial problem undertaken by Bhatnagar was the development of a process to convert bagasse (peelings of sugarcane) into food cake for cattle.
  • Attock Oil Company was having difficulty drilling for crude oil because the thick, viscous agent used to prevent oil leakage into the drill bit kept solidifying. Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar asked Attock to add acacia gum, also called Indian gum, obtained from the sap of the acacia tree, to the mixture to reduce the viscosity of the fluid.
• During World War II, Bhatnagar worked on innovations for the British army and Indian troops.
  • He developed anti-gas cloth and plastic from waste, as well as a method to use petroleum extraction byproducts in the oil industry.

Honours

Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar's contributions to science were acknowledged with several prominent honours.

• Fellow of Indian Academy of Sciences, 1934
• Awarded the ‘Order of the British Empire’ (OBE) in 1936.
• Fellow of the Royal Society in 1943.
• President of the Indian Chemical Society, National Institute of Sciences of India, and Indian National Science Congress
• Padma Bhushan in 1954.

Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Award

The prestigious Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize, instituted in 1958 by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), is awarded for excellence in the sciences and is a tribute to the first Director-General of CSIR, Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar.

• Eligibility Criteria: Any citizen of India engaged in research in any field of science and technology up to the age of 45 years as reckoned on December 31st of the year preceding the year of the Prize.
  • Persons of Indian Origin (PIO) and Overseas Citizens of India (OCI) working in India are also eligible.
• Nature of the Prize: SSB Prizes, each of the value of Rs 5 lacs, are awarded annually for notable and outstanding research, applied or fundamental, in the following disciplines:
  • Biological Sciences
  • Chemical Sciences
  • Earth, Atmosphere, Ocean and Planetary Sciences
  • Engineering Sciences
  • Mathematical Sciences
  • Medical Sciences
  • Physical Sciences
• Presentation of the Award: The names of the recipients are announced on September 26, the CSIR Foundation Day, and awarded at a formal presentation ceremony arranged by CSIR.

Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Award 2022

However, the 23 winners across disciplines in 2021 and 2022 are all men. For the second time in a row, CSIR failed to honour a single woman scientist for outstanding contribution to science and technology.