India has had many geniuses who contributed to the nation's development. Even with fewer facilities before India's independence, they achieved much and started many first things there. One such person was Acharya Prafulla Chandra Ray. He was a distinguished Indian scientist and educator, recognized as one of the earliest modern chemical researchers in India. Recently, August 2nd was commemorated as his birthday. Ray also established the first modern Indian research school in Chemistry and is regarded as the Father of Indian Chemistry.
Prafulla also founded India's first pharmaceutical company -- Bengal Chemicals and Pharmaceuticals -- in 1901. He was born in 1861 in Bengal Presidency in British India (now in Bangladesh). He passed the FA exam in 1881 and was admitted to the BA degree of the University of Calcutta as a chemistry student. In 1882, he moved to the UK at the age of 21. He won a scholarship and enrolled as a BSc. student at the University of Edinburgh without completing his original degree. Prafulla was also awarded a DSc. in 1887.
Trained at the University of Edinburgh, he was honoured by the British Government and received the title of Companion of the Indian Empire (CIE) and then with the Knighthood in 1919. Ray returned to India (Calcutta) in 1888. He joined Presidency College as an assistant professor of Chemistry in 1889. He spent many years at Presidency College and Calcutta University. Ray was an active supporter of the Swadeshi Movement of 1905.
He published around 150 research papers during his lifetime. He retired at the age of 75 in 1936, Ray remained a bachelor throughout his life. He passed away at the age of 82 in June 1944.
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