Kariamanikkam Srinivasa Krishnan

Kariamanikkam Srinivasa Krishnan (1898 - 1961) belonged to the illustrious group of Indian physicists who contributed significantly to the scientific revolution during the early decades of the twentieth century. His collaboration with C V Raman on the scattering of light in liquids led to the discovery of the Raman effect. Later in the University of Dacca and then as the first Mahendra Lal Sircar Professor of Physics at the Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science in Calcutta, Krishnan made seminal studies on the magnetic and optical properties of crystals which established him as one of the founders of the fields of  crystal magnetism and magnetochemistry.  

 Krishnan was deeply involved in the science policy-making of the country just before and immediately after its independence. He was a member of the Board of Scientific and Industrial Research almost since its inception.  When the National Physical Laboratory (first of the CSIR chain of laboratories) was established in 1947, Krishnan was persuaded by C Rajagopalachari and Jawaharlal Nehru to accept its directorship. The following year Krishnan was appointed a member of the newly created Atomic Energy Commission of India. He died in harness in June 1961.  

 In this talk a brief account of Krishnans life and his scientific work will be given. The talk will also provide a historical perspective of Indian science during the period Krishnan lived.