Indian Institute of Science - History

History

Directors
  • M. W. Travers, FRS, 1909–1914
  • Sir A.G. Bourne, FRS, 1915–1921
  • Sir Martin O. Forster, FRS, 1922–1933
  • Sir C.V. Raman, FRS, 1933–1937
  • J.C. Ghosh, 1939–1948
  • M.S. Thacker, 1949–1955
  • S. Bhagavantam, 1957–1962
  • S. Dhawan, 1962–1981
  • D.K. Banerjee, 1971–1972
  • S. Ramaseshan, 1981–1984
  • C.N.R. Rao, FRS, 1984–1994
  • G. Padmanaban, 1994–1998
  • Govardhan Mehta, 1998–2005
  • P. Balaram, 2005–Present

After an accidental meeting between Jamsetji N. Tata and Swami Vivekananda on a ship in 1893 where they discussed Tata's plan of bringing the steel industry to India, Tata wrote to Vivekananda five years later:

“ I trust, you remember me as a fellow-traveller on your voyage from Japan to Chicago. I very much recall at this moment your views on the growth of the ascetic spirit in India... I recall these ideas in connection with my scheme of Research Institute of Science for India, of which you have doubtless heard or read ”

Impressed by Vivekananda's views on science and leadership abilities, Tata wanted him to guide his campaign. Vivekananda endorsed the project with enthusiasm, and Tata, with the aim of advancing the scientific capabilities of the country, constituted a Provisional Committee to prepare a plan for setting up of an Institute of research and higher education. The committee presented a draft proposal to Lord Curzon on 31 December 1898. Subsequently, Prof. Sir William Ramsay, a Nobel Laureate, was called on to propose a suitable place for such an institution who suggested Bangalore as the best location.

The land and other facilities for the institution were donated by H.H. Sir Krishnaraja Wodeyar IV, the Maharaja of Mysore (a Princely State now called State of Karnataka), and Tata himself. The Maharaja donated about 400 acres (1.6 km2) of land worth 2 billion US dollars today. Tata gave several buildings towards the creation of IISc.

The constitution of the Institute was approved by the Viceroy, Lord Minto, and the necessary Vesting Order to enable it to function was signed on 27 May 1909. Early in 1911, the Maharaja of Mysore laid the foundation stone of the Institute, and on 24 July, the first batch of students were admitted in the Departments of General and Applied Chemistry under Norman Rudolf and Electro-Technology under Alferd Hay. Within two months, the Department of Organic Chemistry was opened. With the establishment of the University Grants Commission in 1956, the Institute came under its purview as a deemed university.

At the time of the inception of IISc in 1909, Morris Travers, Sir William Ramsay's co-worker in the discovery of the noble gases, became its first Director. For Travers, this was a natural continuation of his work on the Institute, since he had played a role in its founding. The first Indian Director was the Nobel Laureate Sir C.V. Raman. Raman was the Indian Science based Nobel Laureate. The current Director is Padmanabhan Balaram.

The Institute was the first to introduce (i) Masters programs in engineering. It has also started integrated Ph.D. Programs in Biological, Chemical, Physical and Mathematical Sciences for science graduates.

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