Chintamani Nagesa Ramachandra Rao, also known as C.N.R. Rao, is a renowned Indian chemist who has made significant contributions to the field of solid state and materials chemistry. With a career spanning over five decades, he has conducted groundbreaking research on transition metal oxides and has played a crucial role in understanding the relationship between materials properties and structural chemistry. Notably, he was instrumental in synthesizing two-dimensional oxide materials like La2CuO4. In addition to his work on hybrid materials, Rao has also made significant contributions to the field of nanomaterials. Currently, he serves as the Chairman of the Scientific Advisory Council to the Prime Minister of India, a position that reflects the immense trust placed in him by different governments. Rao has been recognized for his achievements with honorary doctorates from sixty universities worldwide and has authored over 1500 research papers and 45 scientific books. In 2014, he was honored with the prestigious ‘Bharat Ratna’ award, making him the third scientist to receive India’s highest civilian honor. Throughout his career, Rao has received numerous national and international honors and awards, including honorary fellowship of the Royal Society of Chemistry in 1989 and the Chevalier de la Légion d’honneur from France in 2005.
Quick Facts
- Indian Celebrities Born In June
- Also Known As: Chintamani Nagesa Ramachandra Rao
- Age: 89 Years, 89 Year Old Males
- Family:
- Spouse/Ex-: Indumati
- Father: Hanumantha Nagesa Rao
- Mother: Nagamma Nagesa Rao
- Children: Sanjay, Suchitra
- Chemists
- Indian Men
- City: Bengaluru, India
- Education: Mysore University, Banaras Hindu University, Purdue University
- Awards:
- Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize for Science and Technology (1969)
- Hughes Medal (2000)
- India Science Award (2004)
- Abdus Salam Medal (2008)
- Dan David Prize (2005)
- Legion of Honor (2005)
- Royal Medal (2009)
- Padma Shri (1974)
- Padma Vibhushan (1985)
- Bharat Ratna (2013)
- Order of the Rising Sun (2015)
Childhood & Early Life
Rao was born on June 30, 1934, in Bangalore, Karnataka, to Hanumantha Nagesa Rao and Nagamma Nagesa Rao as their only child. He completed his elementary education at home where his mother taught him Hindu Literature and arithmetic, and his father taught him English. At the age of six, he enrolled in a middle school and became the youngest student in his class. He excelled in English and mathematics and often helped his classmates. In 1944, at the age of ten, he secured first class in his lower secondary exam. He then joined a high school in Basavanagudi, where he developed an interest in chemistry. Despite speaking English at home, his father wanted him to learn his mother tongue, so he enrolled in a Kannada course. One of his fondest childhood memories was meeting Nobel Laureate Professor C V Raman in 1946.
Education
In 1947, Rao earned his secondary school leaving certificate with first class. He then enrolled at Central College in Bangalore, where he improved his English communication skills and studied Sanskrit. At the age of seventeen, he earned his bachelor’s degree from Mysore University with first class. He initially planned to pursue a diploma or postgraduate degree in chemical engineering from the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), but one of his teachers convinced him to join Banaras Hindu University (BHU). He completed his master’s degree in Chemistry from BHU in 1953 and was granted a scholarship by IIT Kharagpur for his PhD. He chose to pursue his PhD at Purdue University in the United States and obtained his doctorate in chemical physics in an impressive two years and nine months. He then continued his postdoctoral research at the University of California in Berkeley.
Career
In 1959, Rao returned to Bangalore and joined the IISc as a lecturer. He also began his independent research work during this time. His initial research focused on spectroscopy and molecular structure, and he published his first book, “Ultraviolet and Visible Spectroscopy,” in 1960. He joined the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur in 1963 and served as a permanent faculty member in the Department of Chemistry until 1976. He faced financial constraints in initiating his research work in India but gradually set up facilities for investigating solid state and materials chemistry. In 1976, he re-joined the IISc and established a unit dedicated to solid state and structural chemistry. His research on transition metal oxides has contributed to the understanding of their properties and their link to structural chemistry. He has also conducted extensive research on nanomaterials such as graphene, nanowires, and nanotubes.
Awards & Achievements
Rao has received numerous awards and honors throughout his career. He was awarded the Bharat Ratna, the highest civilian honor in India, in 2014. He has also received the Padma Shri (1974), Padma Vibhushan (1985), and Karnataka Ratna (2001) among other honors.
Personal Life & Legacy
In 1960, Rao married Indumati, and they have a son named Sanjay and a daughter named Suchitra. His son is involved in popularizing science in Bangalore schools. His son-in-law, K.M. Ganesh, is the Director of the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) in Pune, Maharashtra. Rao is known to be technophobic and does not use computers or check his emails himself. He only uses his mobile phone to talk to his wife.