C. N. R. Rao was born in Bengaluru on 30 June 1934, the only child of Hanumantha Nagesa Rao and Nagamma Rao. He did not attend primary school, instead learning at home from his mother until the age of six. She introduced him to mathematics, mythology and reading, while his father, an inspector of schools, encouraged learning in Kannada as well as English. Rao often credited this upbringing with shaping both his curiosity and his discipline.
His fascination with science began while studying at Central College, Bengaluru, but he traced one defining moment to 1946, when Sir C. V. Raman visited his school. Seeing India's first Nobel-winning scientist convinced the young Rao that he wanted to become a scientist himself.
Choosing the Harder Road
After completing his B.Sc. at Central College, Rao moved to Banaras Hindu University for his Master's degree, choosing it because it offered a broader scientific education instead of focusing only on research. There he discovered Linus Pauling's The Nature of the Chemical Bond, a book that completely changed the way he thought about Chemistry.
Determined to study in this emerging field, he went to Purdue University in the United States for a Ph.D., completing it in just two years and nine months. Although Pauling himself was not his supervisor, Rao worked with one of Pauling's students and even had his own research acknowledged in later editions of Pauling's famous book. By the time he left Purdue, he had published nearly thirty research papers—far more than what was required for his doctorate.
Returning Home
Despite attractive opportunities in the United States, Rao chose to return to India in 1959. The decision was deeply personal. He later admitted that while his mother never asked him to come back, he could not imagine leaving her behind. That choice would shape the rest of his career.
His early years at the Indian Institute of Science were far from ideal. Spectroscopy was one of his research interests, yet he joked that he was "doing spectroscopy without a spectrometer." Instead of leaving, he built his reputation through determination, publishing influential books and research despite limited resources.
Building Institutions
At just twenty-nine, Rao became the head of the Chemistry Department at IIT Kanpur, where he transformed it into one of India's strongest chemistry departments. In 1976, he returned to the Indian Institute of Science to establish the Solid State and Structural Chemistry Unit, creating a modern research centre dedicated to materials science.
He later served as Director of IISc from 1984 to 1994 and founded the Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR), helping shape India's scientific infrastructure as much as its research output.
Changing the Direction of Chemistry
When Rao began working in solid-state chemistry during the 1960s, the field barely existed in India. Many questioned why anyone would study what they dismissed as "solid-state chemistry." Decades later, the subject became central to modern materials science, and Rao was recognised internationally as one of its pioneers.
His research transformed the understanding of metal oxides, superconducting materials, nanomaterials, carbon nanotubes and graphene. Over a career spanning more than six decades, he published more than 1,700 research papers and over fifty books, making him one of the world's most prolific chemists.
Science Beyond the Laboratory
Rao believed that building scientific institutions was as important as making discoveries. He advised several Prime Ministers on science policy and repeatedly argued that India needed greater investment in research and higher education.
He often warned that while India's software industry was growing rapidly, neglecting fundamental science would weaken the country's future. His speeches and interviews consistently called for better universities, stronger laboratories and more opportunities for young researchers.
Together with his wife, Indumati Rao, he also travelled across India conducting science camps, speaking to students and supporting science education through the C. N. R. Rao Education Foundation.
Recognition and Legacy
Over a career spanning more than six decades, C. N. R. Rao received some of the world's highest honours in chemistry and materials science. His early recognition included the Marlow Medal of the Faraday Society (1967), the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize (1968), the C. V. Raman Award (1975), and the S. N. Bose Medal (1980), followed by India's civilian honours—the Padma Shri (1974), Padma Vibhushan (1985), Karnataka Ratna (2000) and, ultimately, the Bharat Ratna (2014).
His international honours included the Heyrovský Gold Medal (1989), UNESCO's Einstein Gold Medal (1996), the Centenary Medal of the Royal Society of Chemistry and the Hughes Medal of the Royal Society (both 2000) among many others.
Beyond medals, Rao was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS) in 1982 and became a member or honorary member of many of the world's leading scientific academies. He also served as President of the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) and the Third World Academy of Sciences (TWAS).
His influence extends beyond his own research. Along with his wife, Indumati Rao, he established the C. N. R. Rao Education Foundation to promote science education. The TWAS-C. N. R. Rao Award for Scientific Research, the C. N. R. Rao Prize Lecture in Advanced Materials, and the SASTRA-C. N. R. Rao Award were later instituted in recognition of his lasting contributions to science.
Despite these accolades, Rao remained remarkably focused on research rather than recognition. He often said that the excitement of discovering something new mattered more than collecting awards, continuing to spend nearly ten hours a day in the laboratory well into his later years.
Sources
https://www.arcjournals.org/pdfs/ijhsse/v2-i11/9.pdf
‘Prof. C.N.R. Rao: A Life Dedicated to Science ‘ by Raghunandan Prasad Chamoli published in International Journal of Humanities Social Sciences and Education (IJHSSE) Volume 2, Issue 11, November 2015
Article by Sucheta Dalal and Debashis Basu
C. N. R. Rao
