Scientist of the day - Pierre Curie

Pierre Curie

Pierre Curie was a French physical chemist who discovered radium and polonium, while studying radioactivity with his wife, Marie Curie. Widely considered to be one of the founders of founders of modern physics, he pioneered the fields of crystallography, magnetism and piezoelectricity. Curie shared the 1903 the Nobel Prize in Physics with his wife for their work on radiation.

Early Life and Education:

Born in Paris, France on May 15, 1859, Pierre Curie was a childhood prodigy. He showed an extraordinary aptitude for mathematics and geometry. Curie completed the equivalent of a higher degree when he was only 18, but failed to pursue a doctorate due to some financial problems. He instead accepted a job as a laboratory instructor.

Contributions and Achievements:

Pierre Curie is widely credited to be one of the founders of modern physics. As a young researcher, his work had already brought important discoveries related to heat waves, crystals, magnetism and symmetry. He formulated the Curie’s law before he married Marie Sklowdowska in 1895. The Curies, the husband and wife, together discovered polonium and radium while conducting research in radioactivity.

Together with Henri Becquerel, the Curies shared the 1903 Nobel Prize in physics for their revolutionary work on radioactivity.

Later Life and Death:

Pierre Curie died in a street accident in Paris on 19 April 1906. He was only 46 years old.

 

Ambedkar Jayanti

Ambedkar jayanthi 2015- April 14 (Tuesday)

Dr. Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar or simply B.R. Ambedkar was born on April 14, 1891 at MHOW (Military Headquarter of War) in Madhya Pradesh. He was the architect of Indian Constitution and is also known as the "Father of Indian Constitution."

He had dedicated his entire life for uplifting the deprived section of the society. Hence, many Indians and even people from other countries revere him as a great social reformer. He also played a significant role in India’s freedom struggle.

Dr. Ambedkar was one of the first 'untouchables' to obtain a college education in India. He went on to United States and England to pursue higher studies, where he earned a law degree and multiple doctorates for his study and research in law, economics and political science.

Returning home as a famous scholar, Ambedkar practiced law for a few years before he began publishing journals advocating political rights and social freedom for India's untouchables.

Dr. Ambedkar spent his life fighting against the system of untouchability and the caste system. He is also credited for having sparked the Dalit Buddhist movement. Dr. B.R. Ambedkar was the chairman of the drafting committee that was constituted by the Constituent Assembly to draft a constitution for the independent India; he was also the first Law Minister of India.

He was honored with Bharat Ratna in 1990, India's highest civilian award. The day, 14th April is celebrated all over the country as his birthday (Jayanti) and it is also declared as a public holiday.

Various Dalit organizations carry out huge processions on this day in the memory of this great soul. On this very day various organizations organize several activities including rally and cultural programs.

Dalit Melas are held in various parts of the country. Ambedkar Jayanti is observed both in government and private organizations. Prayers, meetings and memorial speeches are organized in various state capitals.

Contributions of B. R. Ambedkar

• He worked to eliminate the social belief of untouchability for the lower group of people. He protested to uplift the untouchables in the society to enhance their social status during law practice in the Bombay High Court. He had organized an event called Bahishkrit Hitakarini Sabha to encourage the education among untouchables for their socio-economic improvement and welfare of the outcastes people of depressed classes. He also protected the Dalit rights by organizing various programs like “Mook Nayak, Bahishkrit Bharat and Equality Janta”.
• He had started an active public movements and marches in 1927 against untouchability to remove the untouchability for water resources as well as enter to the Hindu temples (Kalaram Temple movement in 1930). He has demanded for the separate electorate through the Poona Pact to reserve seats for untouchable people of depressed class.
• He was invited by the Congress government to serve as a first Law Minister after the independence of India on 15^th of August in 1947 and appointed as a “Chairman of the Constitution Drafting Committee” on 29^th of August in 1947 where he drafted the new Constitution of India which was adopted by the Constituent Assembly on 26^th of November in 1949.
• He had played his great role in establishing the Reserve Bank of India as he was a professional economist. He became successful in forming the Reserve Bank of India in 1934 after giving his ideas to the Hilton Young Commission through his three successful scholarly books on economics such as “Administration and Finance of the East India Company, The Evolution of Provincial Finance in British India, and The Problem of the Rupee: Its Origin and Its Solution”.
• He also played his role in planning the Indian economic as he got his Economics doctorate degree from abroad. He encouraged people for the growth and development of the industrialization and agricultural industry to enhance the economy of country. He had given ideas to the government for accomplishing the food security goal. He encouraged people for good education, hygiene and community health as their basic requirement. He had established the Finance Commission of India.
• He had opposed the Article 370 in the Constitution of India in order to provide the special status to the people of Jammu and Kashmir, India.