C. V. Raman
Indian physicist who discovered the Raman effect.
Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman was an Indian physicist who received the 1930 Nobel Prize in Physics for his discovery of a novel type of light scattering, later called the Raman effect. Born in Tamil Nadu in 1888, Raman was a remarkably gifted student. He completed his secondary education at age eleven and passed the intermediate examination with a scholarship by thirteen, securing top marks in both. At sixteen, he earned a bachelor’s degree with honors in physics from Presidency College, Madras, and published his first research paper on light diffraction while still a graduate student. He obtained a master’s degree the following year. Despite his academic promise, a medical examination deemed him too frail for the English climate, preventing him from pursuing research abroad. Instead, he joined the Indian Finance Service in Calcutta as an assistant accountant general. There, he gained access to the Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science, where he conducted independent research in acoustics and optics. In 1917, he became the first Palit Professor of Physics at the University of Calcutta. During his first voyage to Europe, he observed the Mediterranean Sea and concluded that its blue color was not due to reflected sky light, as was then believed. Using a spectrograph he developed, Raman and his student K. S. Krishnan discovered in 1928 that light passing through a transparent material could change wavelength upon scattering. This phenomenon, initially called modified scattering, is now known as Raman scattering. He founded the Indian Journal of Physics in 1926 and later became the first Indian director of the Indian Institute of Science in Bengaluru. He established the Indian Academy of Sciences and, in 1948, founded the Raman Research Institute, where he worked until his death in 1970.
- born
- 1888
- died
- 1970
- field
- Physics
- nationality
- Indian
- known_for
- Discovery of the Raman effect (Raman scattering)
Lore & Background
Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman was born on 7 November 1888 in Tiruchirappalli, India, the second of eight children. His father was a teacher at a local high school. The family moved to Visakhapatnam in 1892 when his father joined the physics faculty at Mrs A. V. Narasimha Rao College. Raman attended St Aloysius' Anglo-Indian High School, passing matriculation at age 11 and the First Examination in Arts at age 13, securing first position in both under the Andhra Pradesh school board. He then entered Presidency College in Madras, where his father had been transferred to teach. In 1904, he earned a B.A. from the University of Madras, standing first and winning gold medals in physics and English. While still a graduate student, he published his first scientific paper on unsymmetrical diffraction bands due to a rectangular aperture in the British journal *Philosophical Magazine* in 1906. He earned an M.A. with highest distinction in 1907, publishing a second paper that year on surface tension of liquids. His physics teacher insisted he continue research in England, but a medical inspection concluded he would not withstand the harsh weather, with the examining colonel certifying he was likely to die of tuberculosis if he went. Raman instead joined the Indian Finance Service, achieving first position in the entrance examination, and was posted to Calcutta as Assistant Accountant General in June 1907. There he befriended researchers at the Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science, obtaining permission to conduct research in his own time. His article "Newton's rings in polarised light" published in *Nature* in 1907 became the first research paper from that institute. In 1917, he was appointed the first Palit Professor of Physics at Rajabazar Science College under the University of Calcutta. On his first trip to Europe, seeing the Mediterranean Sea motivated him to identify the prevailing explanation for its blue colour—reflected Rayleigh-scattered light from the sky—as incorrect. He founded the *Indian Journal of Physics* in 1926. Using a spectrograph he developed, he and his student K. S. Krishnan discovered that when light traverses a transparent material, the deflected light changes its wavelength, a phenomenon they called modified scattering, later termed the Raman effect. He received the 1930 Nobel Prize in Physics for this work, becoming the first Asian
Reader's Guide
Raman's discovery of the effect that bears his name emerged from his broader investigations into the scattering of light, a field he pursued while working at the Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science in Calcutta. Using a spectrograph of his own design, he and his student K. S. Krishnan observed that when light passes through a transparent material, a portion of the scattered light emerges with a different wavelength, a phenomenon they initially called modified scattering. This finding, made on 28 February 1928, is now celebrated annually in India as National Science Day. The discovery overturned the then-prevailing explanation for the blue colour of the sea, which Raman had identified as incorrect after observing the Mediterranean Sea during his first trip to Europe; he argued it was not merely reflected Rayleigh-scattered light from the sky. The Raman effect underpins Raman spectroscopy, a technique widely used to analyse molecular vibrations and crystal structures, and is also applied in Raman amplification for optical fibre communications. Raman’s work in acoustics and optics during his years at the IACS, where he was the first to produce a research paper from the institute, established him as a foundational figure in Indian physics. He later founded the Indian Journal of Physics in 1926 and the Indian Academy of Sciences, and served as the first Indian director of the Indian Institute of Science before establishing the Raman Research Institute in 1948, where he continued his research until his death.
Did You Know?
- C. V. Raman won the 1930 Nobel Prize for Physics for discovering Raman scattering.
- Raman scattering is also known as the Raman effect.
- Raman spectroscopy is a technique that relies on Raman scattering.
- Raman amplification is used in optical fibres.
- The source lists C. V. Raman's full name as Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is C. V. Raman?
Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman was an Indian physicist born on 7 November 1888 who made groundbreaking contributions to the study of light scattering. He is best remembered for identifying a phenomenon that bears his name and for becoming a landmark figure in twentieth-century science.
What is the Raman effect?
The Raman effect describes how light changes its wavelength when it passes through and scatters off a transparent substance. Raman identified this deflection behavior, and it later became a foundational tool in spectroscopy and materials analysis.
What Nobel Prize did C. V. Raman receive?
He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1930 for his discovery of the Raman effect. This made him the first person from Asia and the first non-White scientist to claim a Nobel in the physical sciences.
Why is C. V. Raman considered so important in the history of science?
Beyond the Raman effect itself, his achievement broke a major barrier by being the first Asian recipient of a Nobel Prize in Physics. His work also opened up an entire field of spectroscopic research that scientists still rely on today.
When did C. V. Raman live?
Raman was born on 7 November 1888 in India and passed away on 21 November 1970. His life spanned over eight decades of significant scientific and cultural development in the Indian subcontinent.
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