IISc Story: It is the year 1898. Jamsetji Tata stood in Bombay and said that he was donating more than half of his wealth. Approximately Rs 30 lakh, 14 buildings and four big plots. It was not easy to donate all this to build a world-class science and technology university. At that time no one had even thought that an Indian could make such a huge donation. He believed that the country will progress only when we have our own big center of science research.
The British government created a hurdle
Jamsetji sent his friend Burzorji Padshah to America and Europe so that he could understand the model of the best university in the world. Johns Hopkins University was preferred, but Viceroy Lord Curzon found the plan too big. Curzon flatly refused for the Philosophy Department. After much effort, only two departments got approval. Now the question arose that who would provide space for the institute? So Mysore state came forward for this. The then Queen of Mysore and her minor son Krishnaraj Wadiyar gave 371 acres of free land in Bangalore for this institute and also provided funding for it.
Tata left this world in 1904
Here in 1904, Jamsetji Tata left this world, but his son Dorabji Tata and the entire team did not give up. Finally, the Indian Institute of Science was formally established on 27 May 1909. The famous British chemist Morris Travers became its first director.
Class started with 24 children
The first batch of the institute came in the year 1911. That too of only 24 students. Two branches of Chemistry and Electrical Technology were started in the institute. At that time, up to five separate messes had to be built for children of different castes and religions.
Six factories in the first five years
Sir M Visvesvaraya was a member of this council. He clearly said that do not become a bookworm, solve the real problems of the country. The result was that within the first five years of IISc’s research, six factories for making sandalwood oil, soap, lac and acetone were opened in Mysore.
First Indian director in 1933
Nobel laureate CV Raman became the first Indian director of IISc in 1933. At the same time, women’s admission started, that too with great difficulty. The most famous story is that of Kamla Sohoni. Despite having top merit, Raman Saheb did not want to take him in the lab. Kamala staged a Gandhi style dharna outside his office. At last Raman had to bow down. Later Kamala came after completing her PhD from Cambridge University and formally admission of girls started from 1937-38.
From world war to space: IISc stays together
During the Second World War, IISc in collaboration with Hindustan Aircraft Limited repaired planes and manufactured military equipment. Big names like Homi J Bhabha, Vikram Sarabhai, Satish Dhawan, Anna Mani originated from here or remained connected here. Satish Dhawan started new centers like Computer Science, Material Science, Brain Research in the seventies and eighties. Today the global ranking of IISc is 211 and this institute is included in the top-40 in Asia. This institute is the number-1 research institute in India in the NIRF ranking. Courses like Brain Research, Nano Science, Nuclear Engineering are running here. A seed sown by Jamsetji Tata 125 years ago Today it has become a huge banyan tree. His dream has been fulfilled and today the whole country is reaching new heights of science under his shadow. This is the reason why even JEE toppers choose IISc without thinking.
Lok Sabha passed the proposal
The Lok Sabha has approved a government proposal regarding this institute, due to which now two Lok Sabha members can be elected to the Council of the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bengaluru. This council is the biggest decision-making body of IISc which helps in running the institute, increasing research and planning for the future. Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan presented this proposal. He said that electing two members from the Lok Sabha will strengthen the voice of the Parliament in the Council of IISc. This proposal was passed by voice vote.
What does IISc Council do?
IISc is India’s largest institute of science research and education. Its council looks after the work of strengthening infrastructure, improving research and partnering with institutions around the world. The council includes nominated members of the Central and Karnataka governments, Tata Trust, UGC, AICTE, Indian Universities Association as well as members of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. Now two new members will join the Lok Sabha due to which the decisions will be more comprehensive.
