C. N. R. Rao

Not to be confused with C. R. Rao.

C. N. R. Rao
FNA, FASc, FRS, FTWAS, HonFRSC, MAE, HonFInstP
Professor Rao in 2013
Born
Chintamani Nagesa Ramachandra Rao

(1934-06-30) 30 June 1934 (age 90)
Bangalore, Kingdom of Mysore, British India
Alma materMysore University (BS)
Banaras Hindu University (MS)
Purdue University (PhD)
AwardsBharat Ratna (2014)
Padma Vibhushan (1985)
Padma Shri (1974)
Marlow Medal (1967)
Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize for Science and Technology (1969)
Hughes Medal (2000)
India Science Award (2004)
Dan David Prize (2005)
Legion of Honor (2005)
Abdus Salam Medal (2008)
Royal Medal (2009)
Karnataka Ratna (2001)
Order of Friendship (2009)
National Order of Scientific Merit (2012)
Order of the Rising Sun (2015)
Von Hippel Award (2017)
ENI award (2020)
Scientific career
FieldsSolid-state chemistry
InstitutionsIndian Space Research Organisation
IIT Kanpur
Indian Institute of Science
University of Oxford
University of Cambridge
University of California, Santa Barbara
Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research
Websitewww.jncasr.ac.in/cnrrao/index.html

Chintamani Nagesa Ramachandra Rao, FNA, FASc, FRS, FTWAS, HonFRSC, MAE, HonFInstP[1][2][3][4][5] (born 30 June 1934), is an Indian chemist who has worked mainly in solid-state and structural chemistry. He has honorary doctorates from 86 universities from around the world and has authored around 1,800 research publications and 58 books.[6] He is described as a scientist who had won all possible awards in his field except the Nobel Prize.[7][8]

Rao completed BSc from Mysore University at age seventeen, and MSc from Banaras Hindu University at age nineteen. He earned a PhD from Purdue University at the age of twenty-four. He was the youngest lecturer when he joined the Indian Institute of Science in 1959.[9] After a transfer to Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, he returned to IISc, eventually becoming its director from 1984 to 1994. He was chair of the Scientific Advisory Council to the Prime Minister of India from 1985 to 1989 and from 2005 to 2014. He founded and works in Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research and International Centre for Materials Science.

Rao received scientific awards and honours including the Marlow Medal, Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize for Science and Technology, Hughes Medal, India Science Award, Dan David Prize, Royal Medal, Von Hippel Award, and ENI award. He also received Padma Shri and Padma Vibhushan from the Government of India. On 16 November 2013, the Government of India selected him for Bharat Ratna, the highest civilian award in India, making him the third scientist after C.V. Raman and A. P. J. Abdul Kalam[10] to receive the award.[11][12][13] He received the award on 4 February 2014 from President Pranab Mukherjee at the Rashtrapati Bhavan.[14][15]

  1. ^ "Fellowship: Prof. Chintamani Nagesa Ramachandra Rao". Indian Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 12 February 2022.
  2. ^ "The Royal Society: Chintamani Rao". The Royal Society. Retrieved 12 February 2022.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference TWAS_CNR_Rao was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference RSC_CNR_Rao was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference MAE_CNR_Rao was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ "Indian Research Information Network System".
  7. ^ Sathyamurthy, N.; Rao, C. N. R. (2019). "Face to Face with Professor C N R Rao". Resonance. 24 (7): 775–791. doi:10.1007/s12045-019-0840-2. S2CID 201041154.
  8. ^ Pulakkat, Hari (18 November 2013). "Bharat Ratna nominee CNR Rao won all possible awards but the Nobel prize". The Economic Times. Retrieved 3 March 2020.
  9. ^ Cite error: The named reference :2 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  10. ^ Dhar, Aarti (4 February 2014). "C.N.R. Rao, Sachin conferred Bharat Ratna". The Hindu. Retrieved 12 February 2014.
  11. ^ "Sachin, eminent scientist CNR Rao get Bharat Ratna". The Times of India. 16 November 2013. Retrieved 16 November 2013.
  12. ^ "Sachin first sportsperson to win country's highest civilian honour Bharat Ratna". Hindustan Times. New Delhi. 16 November 2013. Archived from the original on 17 January 2014. Retrieved 16 November 2013.
  13. ^ "Bharat Ratna for Prof CNR Rao and Sachin Tendulkar". Prime Minister's Office. 16 November 2013. Archived from the original on 19 November 2013. Retrieved 16 November 2013.
  14. ^ "Sachin Tendulkar and CNR Rao conferred Bharat Ratna". The Times of India. 4 February 2014. Retrieved 4 February 2014.
  15. ^ "CNR Rao, Sachin receive Bharat Ratna". The Hindu. 4 February 2014. Retrieved 4 February 2014.