P. C. Ray: The Scientist, Swadeshi Revolutionary and the Story of Daab Sherbet When we remember Acharya Prafulla Chandra Ray, we usually think of the pioneering chemist who discovered mercurous nitrite, founded Bengal Chemicals and helped establish modern chemical research in India. Yet Ray’s life also reveals a lesser-known connection between chemistry, public health and an everyday drink - daab sherbet . The story reminds us that Ray did not regard science as an activity confined to laboratories. For him, scientific knowledge had to serve society, strengthen Indian industry and improve people’s lives. A chemist who became a nation-builder Born on 2 August 1861 in present-day Bangladesh, Prafulla Chandra Ray emerged as one of India’s most influential scientists. After studying chemistry at the University of Edinburgh, he returned to India and joined Presidency College, Calcutta. Ray’s research brought him international recognition, but his ambitions extended far beyond personal a...
Rajeev Singh is Professor at the Department of Chemistry at Atma Ram Sanatan Dharma College (ARSD), University of Delhi. He is an inorganic chemist with research specialization in Material Chemistry and Organometallics. He did his Ph. D. from the University of Delhi and was a TWAS postdoctoral fellow. His other area of academic interests are into revival, communication, and awareness of knowledge of ancient Indian sciences, IKS specially Chemistry and the contributions of Indian scientists.