Chintamani Nagesa Ramachandra Rao
(C.N.R. Rao) is an Indian chemist, distinguished as one of the leading
solid state and materials chemists around the world. His scientific
career spanning over five decades saw him making significant
contribution in development of the field that included his analysis on
transition metal oxides. The study aided in comprehending the novel
phenomenon and association of materials properties with that of
structural chemistry of such materials. He was a front-runner in
synthesizing two dimensional oxide materials like La2CuO4. For last
twenty years, apart from working on hybrid materials, he has been making
significant contribution to nanomaterials. At present he serves as
Chairman of the Scientific Advisory Council to the Prime Minister of
India, a responsibility he has undertaken under different regimes that
speaks volumes of the immense faith shown upon him by different
governments. He holds honorary doctorates of sixty universities across
the world. Rao has penned down about 1500 research papers and 45
scientific books. On February 4, 2014, he was conferred the ‘Bharat
Ratna’ by President Pranab Mukherjee. With this he became the third
scientist after C.V. Raman and A. P. J. Abdul Kalam to receive the
highest civilian honour of India. He has received several national and
international honours and awards which include honorary fellowship of
the ‘Royal Society of Chemistry’, London in 1989 and ‘Chevalier de la
Légion d'honneur’ from France in 2005.
Childhood & Early Life
He was born on June 30, 1934, in Bangalore, Karnataka, to Hanumantha Nagesa Rao and Nagamma Nagesa Rao as their only child.
Awards & Achievements
- He was bestowed the highest civilian honour, the ‘Bharat Ratna’ on February 4, 2014.
- He has also received ‘Padma Shri’ (1974), ‘Padma Vibhushan’ (1985) and ‘Karnataka Ratna’ (2001) among other honours.TriviaHe happens to be a technophobic and neither uses computers nor checks his emails by himself. According to him, he uses mobile phone to talk to his wife only.
