ISRO: Why are Tamilians more successful in science?

Scientists from Tamil Nadu have played a crucial role behind success of ISRO’s recent Moon mission Chandrayaan -3 as well as Chandrayaan -1 in 2008 and Chandrayaan -2 in 2019.

Not only at ISRO, scientists from Tamil Nadu have achieved good recognition in many fields around the world.

Tamilians success in science

Tamil Nadu has a strong tradition of education and a rich history in science and mathematics. Factors like a robust education system, emphasis on learning, and cultural values that prioritize education might contribute to the significant number of scientists from the region.

There have been several well-known scientists from Tamil Nadu who have made significant contributions to various fields.

Here are a few notable scientists:

Srinivasa Ramanujan 2016 stamp of India
Ramanujan Postal Stamp By India Post, Government of India

Srinivasa Ayengar Ramanujan

Ramanujan was an a well known mathematician whose contributions to the theory of numbers include pioneering discoveries of the properties of the partition function.

Born in the town of Erode in Tamilnadu Ramanujan never had any formal education. He worked as a clerk in Madras Port Trust.

As his genius gained recognition, he began correspondence with Godfrey Hardy, a British mathematician, that led to a special scholarship from the University of Madras and grant from Trinity College, Cambridge, where he conducted most of his research.

He was the first Indian to be appointed as a Fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge.

C. V. Raman statue
Photo By AshLin – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=33978600

C. V. Raman

Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman, born in Tamil Nadu, was a Nobel laureate physicist known for his pioneering work on light scattering, which came to be known as the “Raman Effect.”

He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1930 for this discovery.

CV. Raman was a professor of Physics at the University of Calcutta where he did most of his research work.

He was knighted in 1929, and in 1933 he moved to the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore [ Bengaluru ] as Head of the Department of Physics.

In 1947, he became Director of the RAMAN RESEARCH INSTITUTE.

The day on which Sir C.V.Raman discovered the RAMAN EFFECT, that is 28th February, is observed as National Science Day in India.

Subramanyan Chandrasekhar
Photo from the Nobel Foundation archive.

Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar

Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar, also born in Tamil Nadu, was a theoretical physicist who shared the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1983 for his work on the structure and evolution of stars.
His pioneering research laid the foundation for our understanding of stellar dynamics.

He is best known for what was later known as Chandrasekhar Limit.

He had also worked on black holes.

The B. P. Pal Centenary Award, eponymously named after the Indian agricultural scientist, being awarded to Swaminathan in 2006.
The B. P. Pal Centenary Award, eponymously named after the Indian agricultural scientist, being awarded to Swaminathan in 2006. Photo: Wikipedia

M. S. Swaminathan

Mankombu Sambasivan Swaminathan is an agricultural scientist from Tamil Nadu known as the “Father of the Green Revolution in India.”
 
His research and advocacy for sustainable agricultural practices and improved crop yields have had a profound impact on India’s food security.
 
 
Venkatraman Ramakrishnan
, Photo Credit: MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology

Venkatraman Ramakrishnan

Born in Chidambaram, Tamil Nadu, Venkatraman Ramakrishnan is a structural biologist who won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2009 for his studies of the structure and function of ribosomes, the molecular machines that synthesize proteins in cells.
APJ Abdul kalam Photo by DRDO
A.P.J. Abdul kalam Photo by DRDO

A.P.J. Abdul Kalam

A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, while not originally from Tamil Nadu, spent a significant part of his career there. He was a renowned aerospace engineer and served as the 11th President of India. He played a crucial role in India’s space and missile development programs.That’s why, he is known as a missile man of India.
k.Sivan ISRO former chairman
K.Sivan, Former Chairman of ISRO, Photo Credit: ISRO

K. Sivan

K.Sivan, who was the head of the Indian space research organisation (ISRO) when Chandrayaan-2 attempted a moon landing near the southern pole in 2019, is also from Tamil Nadu.

His contributions helped chandrayaan 3 project to become successful.

S.somanath photo by isro
S. Somanath, ISRO Chariman, Photo credit: ISRO

S. Somanath

S. Somanath is an accomplished Indian space scientist and chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). During his tenure, India’s historic Moon mission chandrayaan-3 made successful landing on Moon’s south pole.

He also played a vital role in the development and execution of various other space missions.

These scientists have not only brought recognition to themselves but have also made significant contributions to their respective fields, impacting our understanding of the universe, agriculture, technology, and more.
 
Note: Corrections and Suggestions are always welcome

One thought on “ISRO: Why are Tamilians more successful in science?

Comments are closed.