Biography of Physicist Dr. Meghnad Saha

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Biography of Physicist Dr Meghnad Saha



Meghnad Saha
Meghnad Saha was an Indian Bengali physicist. He made a remarkable contribution to the field of Astrophysics. Born into a backward family, he became a world-famous scientist because of his firm dedication and steadiness. Most importantly, he was a freedom fighter of our nation. He was also a successful parliamentarian.

Family and Education

Meghnad Saha was born in a village named Seoratali near Dhaka district, Bengal Presidency, British India (now in Bangladesh) on October 6, 1893. His father was Sri Jagannath Saha and his mother was Smt Bhubneshwari Devi. He belonged to a very poor family and struggled throughout his life. His father was a grocer who barely managed to keep his family from starvation. Saha was the fifth child of his parents.
Saha started schooling near his village. The nearest school to his house was 10 kilometres away. So it was very difficult for him to continue his study. In such a situation, Dr Anantha Kumar Das came forward and offered him free board and lodging.
He took admission in the Kishorial Jubilee School and passed the entrance examination in 1909 and stood first.


He also went to Dhaka Collegiate School for a short time. At that time Swadeshi Movement responded a lot in people's minds. Young Saha could not control his patriotic mind and joined the movement. As a punishment for this, he was forced to leave the school. But it could not hamper his continuity of education.
He earned his Indian School Certificate (ISC) from Dhaka College and ranked third. He also studied in Presidency College, Kolkata and Rajabazar Science College. He graduated from Presidency College with Mathematics and ranked 2.
Saha was lucky to have Jagadish Chandra Bose, Sarada Prasanna Das and Prafulla Chandra Ray as his 
teacher during his student life.

Research Works

In the Presidency College, Saha got Satyendra Nath Bose as his classmate. Both of the top-ranked students and equally science enthusiastic. Along with Bose, he prepared the first book in English based on German and French translations of original papers on Einstein's Special and General Theory of Relativity in 1919. This success brought him to light. Apart from this, Bose and Saha presented several papers on Theoretical Physics and Mathematics later on.
Saha prepared the Saha Equation, named after him. Study on Thermal Ionisation of elements led him to formulate it. Astrophysics, it is one of the basic tools for the interpretation of the spectra of stars. This invention is a luminaire in the field of research on stars.
Using the Saha Equation, one can find the temperature of stars and determine the ionization state of various elements making up the stars.

More Read: M Visvesvaraya

Before Saha's invention, there was no possible way to measure the weight and pressure of solar rays. He invented an instrument to measure these important parameters. He produced the famous equation which he called the "equation of the reaction isobar for ionization" which later became known as Saha's Thermo-Ionization Equation.
He also went abroad and stayed for two years. He spent time in research at Imperial College, London and at a research laboratory in Germany.

More Read: Homi J Bhabha

Career

Saha had a versatile working career. At once, he was a physicist, a mathematician, a politician and a social worker. He did not confine him inside a wall of research, rather he preferred to serve science and mankind together.
Saha held many important positions in his life. Like:
  • Professor at the Allahabad University from 1923-1938
  • Lecturer, professor and dean of the faculty of Science at the University of Calcutta
  • Fellow of the Royal Society
  • President of the 21st Indian Science Congress
  • Editor of the Journal Science and Culture
  • Director at Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science during 1953-1956
  • Chief Architect of river planning in India. He prepared the original plan for the Damodar Valley Project
  • Member of Loksabha. Bose was a parliamentarian. He stood as a candidate in the newly formed constituency of North East Calcutta in the 1951 Loksabha election on the ticket of the Union of Socialists and Progressives Party. He defeated Indian National Congress candidate Mr Prabhu Dayal Himatsingka.
Saha helped to build several institutions like the Physics department in Allahabad University, The Institute of Nuclear Physics in Calcutta etc. He also founded the journal Science and Culture. He was also a member of the National Academy of Science, Indian Physical Society, and Indian Institute of Science.

More Read: C V Raman

Death

Saha was suffering from Hypertension for a long time. On 16 February 1956, When he was going to the Planning Commission in Rastrapathi Bhavan, he got a cardiac arrest and hence died in New Delhi.

Saha's contribution to Physics cannot be evaluated in words. Apart from that, as he was an active parliamentarian, he actively participated in the areas of the education system, refugee crisis and rehabilitation, multi-purpose river projects, flood control and long-term planning. 


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