Meghnad Saha in Parliament (An Old and Rare Book)

Email

Whatsapp

Facebook

Pinterest

Twitter

Copy link

It is a privilege for me to write a few words about Professor Meghnad Saha, an eminent son of India. Truly, he was a product of the renaissance in modern science in India. Besides, being one of the scientific geniuses not only in India but the world at large, the imprint of his original mind and greatness is evident in every sphere such as river physics, planning and history. He was a founder of scientific institutions and leamed societies. One seldom finds in a person a combination, such as he had.

When he was only 27, his epoch-making contribution in Astrophysics "Theory of Thermal Ionisation placed him in the galaxy of great physicists of all times. As depicted by Sir Arthur Eddington in the fourteenth edition of ENCYCLOPAEDIA BRITANNICA, Prof. Saha's "Theory of Thermal Ionisation" is one of the twelve fundamental landmarks in Astrophysics, since the discovery of the first variable star (Mira Ceti) by Fabricius in 1596. Prof. Saha is rightly regarded as the father of modern Astrophysics. He displayed how, as in the past so in the present era, a renaissance in physics and mathematics could be marked by an outburst of activity in astronomy.

His patriotism was rational, with a scientific outlook. He was one of the pioneers in India in creating awareness about social function of science. It was his patriotism and camest desire to drive away mass poverty that led him to enter the public life as a Parliamentarian. He intensively campaigned for rapid. industrialisation in India. His scientific approach was evident in his views on National Planning. The aim was to put an end to mass poverty. The same patriotic fervour led him to plead for the River Valley Projects. In the Parliament, too, he took keen interest in formulating policies in relation to National Planning, Multipurpose River Valley Projects, Education, Industry and Atomic Energy.

In the world of science Meghnad Saha will always be remem- bered for his Theory of Thermal Ionisation and its application to the interpretation of stellar spectra in terms of the physical condi- tions prevailing in the stellar atmosphere. This theory happened to be the first fundamental discovery in modern science from India in this century.

Even transcending the boundaries of Astrophysics, Saha's theory finds its applications in numerous other unconnected areas, such as conductivity of flames, electric arc, explosion phenomena, the study of ionosphere etc. Also, these days the theory finds extensive use in the study of hot plasma and magneto-hydrodynamics. In 1920, when he was barely 27, the Theory of Thermal Ionisation placed him in the same rank with the great physicists of all times. And, at the age of 34, Saha was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society. Saha has been aptly called the father of modern astrophysics.

Along with his scientific excellence, Saha displayed a sense of social purpose which urged him to work in various directions - as a founder of a school of physics, as a builder of scientific institutions and learned societies, as a scientific economic planner and finally as a member of the highest legislative body - the Lok Sabha - in the country.