Volume 2013, Issue
No.5, Dt. 18 May 2013 Time: 12h30mPM
by
Professor Dr.
Kotcherlakota Lakshmi Narayana
(Retd Prof. of Physics, Shivaji University, India) 17-11-10, Narasimha Ashram, Official Colony, Maharanipeta. P .O, Visakhapatnam -530002. A. P.
Cell: Phones: +91
9491902867 and +91 9542717723
On the
Fourth of the Series
of Articles on
Prof. K. R. Rao
D.Sc. (Madras) D.Sc. (London)
Life Time:
9th
September 1899 to 20thJune 1972
Achievement: A Researcher of the Universe
Compliments: He was a singular
personality who nurtured the entire Electromagnetic Spectrum from one end to
the other and gave a fill up to several people.
Foundation of Andhra
University Effort of
Prof K R Rao in
1931year.
Life of
Prof K R Rao D.Sc. (Madras) D.Sc.(London) after the appointment in AU, in the
Year 1932, following his efforts to establish the AU with the generous grant of
the Maharaja of Odisha state, has been one of a sacrifice to the intelligent
students of Andhra Pradesh. The Maharaja of Odisha State was approached in the
year 1930 by Prof. K. R. Rao to donate and build a building for the Andhra
University in Waltair, a place dreaded by people even to visit during the
morning times. It is not surprising for
the V-C “Sir” C. R. Reddi to occupy the residence of Prof K R Rao known as “Narasimha
Ashram”, Maharanipeta, to formulate the details of Constitution of New University.
And the involvement of a relative of Prof K R
Rao in building the JVD College of Science and Technology building at Waltair
in 1931, a place very much dreaded by people to visit, the sites due to its
solitude and remoteness, from Visakhapatnam City of just two lakh population.
It is unfortunate, that the relative who
is a supplier of milk to remote places, in Waltair and Erravada Hill areas, and
a contractor by choice, of Prof K R Rao,
to build the JVD College of Science and Technology died accidentally, within a few months, at the Turning Point of
Siripuram culvert to the beach road (whereat now a petrol bunk stands). The
death spirit engulfed the wife, about to take food with him, who stated in a
stance the spot at which her husband died a remarkable feat of a Hindu Lady
wife.
SPECTROSCOPY LABORATORY
Prof K R Rao after his return
from abroad struggled hard to join the Andhra University which had no building
of its own. And by his valiant efforts and with the generous grant of Maharaja of
Odisha state, he is able to have the building constructed, to house his
Spectroscopy laboratories and the research work in spite of the continued
offensive and oppressive attitude of a noted Prize Winner of those Days in
1930.
First Person to Greet
a Prize Diploma Holder in Physics
What
surprises me most is the fact that Prof K R Rao was the first person from
Sweden, to send a cable of Congratulations to the Learned Man regarding his
coveted Nobel Prize (of a diploma in Physics), after he having been informed by
his learned Professor Manne Siegbahn. Things are different in India, the then
British Ruled country, where a diploma holder is much honored and so a genuine
Professor of Physics with double D.Sc. Degrees is decried. Prof K R Rao had
been given a menial position of an ordinary lecturer post in Andhra University,
the only place for the Andhra people. The manipulation is by appointing the
Diploma Holder as an Expert Member by the then Indian and the British Rulers of
the Country and another Sir Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan as another expert. It
is very amazing how the twosome have managed to have a reputed double degree
D.Sc. holder for nearly four times of his due appointment and denial of
research facilities to undertake his outstanding investigative research in
Physics. It is amazing how this simple man of great preservance has made
amazing mark by guiding research over the entire electromagnetic spectrum range
with different students in different ranges of the spectrum. Neither the
students nor the University authority able to realize how effortlessly he
guided and made enormous publications with each paper read of his disciples and
students at research doctorate levels and made due corrections before their
publication in foreign reputed journals.
A slow growing group of students with remarkable affinity and capturing
the blessings of the learned professor for their honor and glory is remarkable.
Problems of the Then
Rule of Andhra University
Skilful manipulation by British authorities to
sustain the talented people to work hard
and benefit the interest of England and secondly to outsmart them by way
of several pupils and followers to get benefit of their expertise, in spite of
academic excellence results in the total neglect and suppression of a spirited
and dedicated Indian. Prof. K R Rao is no exception in this treat. Prof K R Rao
faced on one side the Prize Winner Physicist (a diploma holder of the coveted
award) and on the other hand and more significant and hidden danger of the
White Supremacy in India. During the years 1930 to 1942 a period of about 12
years of life of an academician of unparallel learned achievements Prof K R Rao
has been subjected to many diverse influence of the white rule and its
continues surrogate methods.
However,
the learned “Sir” Prize Winner did not leave Professor K R Rao for his
enthusiastic enterprise of research and academic pursuits. The Nobel awarder
was greatly assisted, by no person, other than “Sir” Dr Sarvepalli
Radhakrishnan. It cannot be forgotten that the learned Professors of British
India were honored by “Sir” Titles and including the Chancellors. The Nobel
Prize Winner created obstacles during the years 1932 to 1940 and by his
determined sheer of will, ruthlessly oppressed Prof K R Rao nearly four times,
getting his Professor’s post, also the facilities for excellent research work denied
to him. It was those days when Prof K R Rao turned his attention to safe guard
his children and built a house during the years 1931-1942 built it in Official
Colony as Narasimha Ashram. He could become a Professor only in 1940.
Ambition of Prof A
Fowler
What I surmise is the interest of
Prof A Fowler from England, who wanted his school of research established with
help of Prof K R Rao in India as well. I
have seen papers that prompted the appointments of several Indians in India to
the Andhra University Physics Department just to suppress the talented Prof K R
Rao. One should note the British Valiant efforts intelligently to suppress away
the talented India. God’s Grace is
slightly different but Prof K R Rao experienced his most bad times at Andhra
University during the years 1932 to 1940.
Having
not been able to move to America in pursuit of his research interests, in 1931,
denied with superb intelligence as a blockier, and then appointed to muster as
a lower grade person in his own state and country seems to be very far fetching
ambition and calculated effort by the learned people sucking away the ambitious
and learned people effort is noteworthy.
Obedient
Indian students are very mindful of their teachers and Prof K R Rao is no
exception to support and gear to the ideas of the learned Professor A. Fowler
from UK. Alas, the war has killed the learned Prof. A Fowler while crossing the
railway line in Britain during the world war time (possibly the year 1942)
otherwise Prof K R Rao would have been an FRS.
A Singular Personality
and a Great researcher
Prof K R
Rao has planned and established the Andhra University Laboratories and spent
most of his valuable time two-fold in Research and the upbringing of the
University Departments. Because of his D.Sc. (London) and D.Sc. (Madras),
degrees no one has ever dared to speak against his selection and choice of
appointments from 1942 to 1972. He was a singular personality who nurtured the
entire Electromagnetic Spectrum from one end to the other and gave a fill up to
several people.
Many people are not aware that Prof K R Rao was an expert
member as The Principal of AU Colleges he was given the opportunity of
appointing the Indian Administration Services Cadre talented people and conduct
of their examinations. He did it with utmost secrecy and law-abiding
character. He without regard to cast and
creed identified the most talented people and I specifically mention learned
Mathematics Professor Omi Ramswamy as an ideal member for I.A.S examinations.
He was above the ordinary rules of favoritism and when
Prof Omi Ramswamy died he suggested Dr Meenakshi Sundaram (a student of
Astro-Physicist Dr. Chandra Sekhar of USA) to take over the Mathematics
Department and gave the Mathematical Physics Department to Prof T.
Venkatarayudu (a Group Theory expert of India). He thus helped Vice-Chancellor Dr. A. L.
Narayan to tie over the crisis during the years 1965-1966.
Systematic effort made by the
concerned people to deny the Vice-Chancellor's post to Prof. K R Rao of Andhra University colleges, though
they favored his appointment as expert member to establish the Sri Venketaswara
University, Tirupati in 1954.
Noteworthy
that Shri Apparao Vice-Chancellor realized that Professor K. Rangadhama Rao D. Sc. (Madras),
D. Sc. (London) did work to establish Andhra University since its inception.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
I am indebted to Late Professor K. Rangadhama Rao D.Sc.(Madras). D.Sc.(London) for his continued effort and dedication in research par excellence in-spite of the peculiar oddities that he came across in his academic life. This is the fourth of series of articles on the life and effort of Late Prof K R Rao recorded, for the benefit of the next generation Scientists and Technologists globally.
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