Dr. Bidhan Chandra Roy (1882-1962) Politician and Physician—the Architect of modern West Bengal—Dr. B.C. Roy was born on 1 July 1882 in Patna. He belonged to the family of the rebel Maharaja Pratapaditya of Jessore, in its Ash-Guha branch, hailing from Sripur in Khulna district, now in Bangladesh. Father, Prakash Chandra, joined the progressive, monotheistic Brahrno sect, rose to be a Deputy Magistrate and Collector, and commanded respect for his position...

Maharshi Dhondo Keshav Karve (1858-1962) One of the greatest emancipators of women in India, Dhondo Keshav Karve (alias Annasaheb) was born on 18 April 1858 at Sherwali village in Khed taluka of Ratnagiri district, Maharashtra, in a lower middle-class Chi tpavan Brahmin family. His father, Keshav Bapunna Karve, was a Manager of the Estate of Barve of Koregaon in Ratnagiri district on a meagre salary. Karve got his primary education at...

Pandit Govind Ballabh Pant (1887-1961) A considerable figure in Indian public life for nearly fifty years and one of the top Congress leaders for over thirty years, Govind Ballabh Pant was born in Almora on 10 September 1887 in the family of the Pants, who originally belonged to Maharashtra and had migrated to the Kumaon regions of U.P. under the patronage of the then rulers in the 10th century. Pant was...

Jawaharlal Nehru (1889-1964) Jawaharlal Nehru belonged to the whole of mankind, as he belonged to the people of India. A valiant fighter for the people of India all his life, Jawaharlal Nehru was the chief architect of modern India. His entire life was dedicated not only to the ideals of national freedom, unity and solidarity but equally to those of world peace and progress. As one of the great Indians of...

Sir Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya (1861-1962) First among planners in India—an outstanding engineer, able administrator, great economist, social reformer, educationist and statesman, Sir M. Visvesvaraya was born on 15 September 1861 in an orthodox middle-class Brahmin family in a village near Nandi Hills in Mysore State. Having lost his father at an early age, the burden of maintaining the family fell on his shoulders, and he rose to the occasion and managed to...

Dr. Bhagwan Dass (1869-1958) A scholar and a savant, Bhagwan Dass, traced the growth of civilisation. He felt that what the world needed was a synthesis of philosophy, science and religion. He looked upon philosophy as a bridge between religion and science. He provided a new path to humanity by advocating a—new humanism—a new World Social Order and a new World Religion. His work was permeated by the genuine scientific spirit,...

Sir Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman (1888-1970) Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman, better known as C.V. Raman, one of the most brilliant scientists of the world, was born on 7 November 1888 at Ayyanpettai near Tiruchirapalli in the then Madras State. Known for his Raman Effect he was India’s most illustrious scientist who placed his country on the scientific map of the globe. He was the first Asian Scientist to bag and also the first...

Chakravarty Rajagopalachari (1878-1972) Chakravarty Rajagopalachari, better known as Rajaji and more briefly as C. R. belonged to a Vaishnavite Brahmin family. He was born on 10 December 1878 in Salem District in the then Madras Presidency. His father was a village Munsif (Judicial Officer) in Thorapotti, Salem District. Some of his family members were pandits in the royal court of Mysore. Rajaji was the youngest of three sons. Educated at Bangalore...