Text of Talk Delivered at the Centenary Celebrations of the Department of Physics, University of Calcutta, Kolkata, on 7–8 January 2016: ‘Meghnad Saha: A Visionary on Mission’ 1893–1956

It is a momentous occasion to be a part of the Centenary Celebrations of the Department of Physics of the University of Calcutta. In spite of its genesis in colonial initiative, this university made significant contributions to the national awakening and our freedom movement. This department in particular was a leading contributor also to the Golden Period of Science in India. Once its faculty, Sir C.V. Raman, became a Nobel Laureate and some others also achieved international standing. M.N. Saha was probably the most important of them. On this August occasion, he deserves to be remembered for every good reason. He was a polymath in India’s holistic tradition and enlightened at the same time by the new knowledge, ideas and modern science of the world. He became a Fellow of the Royal Society (London) at the age of 34 and was honoured by many other organisations globally. The depth, originality and range of his contributions established him as a foremost scientist of the world. He pioneered many branches of science that influenced life in the years to come. He was a visionary with great ideas of interaction between science and society, for his own country and for the entire humanity. Above all, he was a scientist with social commitment, a leader with intellectual prowess, will and capacity to realise his dreams. Document