Professor Ram Chand Paul

March 6, 2019

Professor Ram Chand Paul

A commemorative postage stamp on Professor Ram Chand Paul, an Indian scientist :

Issued by India

Issued on Mar 6, 2019

Issued for : Department of Posts is pleased to issue a Commemorative Postage Stamp on Ram Chand Paul.

Credits :
Stamps/FDC/Brochure : Ms. Gulistaan
Cancellation Cachet : Smt. Nenu Gupta

Type : Stamp, Mint Condition

Colour : Multi Colour

Denomination : 500 Paise

Stamps Printed : 402380

Printing Process : Wet Offset

Printer : Security Printing Press, Hyderabad

Name : Ram Chand Paul

Born on Oct 20, 1919 at Shakargarh, Narowal district, Punjab, British India [now in Pakistan]

Died on 2002 at —

About :

Ram Chand Paul (1919-2002) was a distinguished scientist, educationist, administrator, science promoter and author of a large number of research papers and books. He played a pivotal role in the growth of Panjab University where he worked as Professor and Head of Chemistry Department (1959-74), Dean of University Instruction (1965-67) and as Vice-Chancellor (1974-84). He played a seminal role in the development of the University into a first rate academic institution of the country. Due to his dynamic leadership and vision, the Department of Chemistry grew by leaps and bounds and was recognized by University Grants Commission as a Centre for Advanced Studies in Chemistry. The Department acquired international stature and signed several collaborative programmes with academic institutions in UK, the erstwhile USSR, Hungary and USA. He was conscious of the fact that research facilities for scientists in the university were inadequate and his untiring efforts led to the establishment of the Regional Sophisticated Instrumentation Centre (RSIC) and Central Instrumentation Laboratory (CIL) on the University campus. These facilities provided a quantum jump in the research quality and productivity not only in Panjab University but also in other institutions all over the country.
Born in Shakargarh (now in Pakistan) on 20 October, 1919, he studied at Central Model School, Lahore, Hindu College, Amritsar and Khalsa College, Amritsar. He graduated from the Honours School in Chemistry of the Punjab University, Lahore in 1939 and obtained M.Sc. (Hons. School) in 1940. He obtained his Ph.D. under the guidance of Dr. S. D. Muzaffar in 1947 at Lahore and earned his second Ph.D. degree in 1954 from Cambridge University. In recognition of his distinguished research work, the University of Cambridge conferred on him the degree of Doctor of Sciences, Sc.D. (Cantab) in 1968.
Ram Chand Paul laid the foundation of a school called Non-Aqueous Solvent Chemistry leading to pioneering publications in this field. He had a large research group and 80 research scholars submitted their Ph.D. thesis under his guidance. Punjab University at Lahore, at the behest of Professor S. S. Bhatnagar, was the first in the country to start an integrated course in its science departments in the form of Honours School which led to continuation of the undergraduate programme into post graduate degree. The Honours School continued in the university after partition. At one stage a more comprehensive integrated science programme was proposed but could not be adopted by the university due to lack of resources. However, the programme caught the attention of the then Planning Commission of India and was implemented on a grand scale by establishing a number of IISER (Indian Institute of Science Education and Research) in different parts of the country.
In spite of his deep involvement in research, Professor Paul took keen interest in the development of chemical education at all levels. After strengthening and modernizing teaching in his own department, he turned his attention to school and college level curricula in Chemistry. Under his guidance as the Director of a study group in Chemistry (1966-70), teaching material for classes 6 to 10 including laboratory manuals, textbooks and teachers’ guides were written. These were published by NCERT which was the sponsoring agency of the project. After the completion of this assignment, he turned his attention towards improvement of teaching chemistry in the colleges. The UGC sanctioned College Science Improvement Programme (COSIP) as a part of the University Leadership Project in Chemistry (ULPIC) to Panjab University. This programme was extremely fruitful and led to distinct improvement in the chemistry curricula at the undergraduate level in Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh. Reading material and low cost instruments were developed and distributed to all the colleges in these states.
Ram Chand Paul earned academic recognition in the country and abroad in his being elected a fellow of all the three National Academies of Sciences apart from the Royal Institute of Chemistry (London). He was a UGC National Lecturer in Chemistry (1970-1971). He was the General Secretary (1971-73) of the Indian Science Congress. He served as Vice-President of the Indian Chemical Society and the National Academy of Sciences, Allahabad in 1976-77.
Ram Chand Paul served as a member of the Governing Body of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, the Chemistry and Metallurgy Committee of the Department of Atomic Energy (Government of India) and the Governing Body of the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh. He took keen interest in sports and was an excellent swimmer. He was instrumental in the construction of a huge indoor gymnasium hall on the campus. He offered the facilities at the Campus to the Indian Hockey Team in 1975. The pre-tournament Camp was very successful and the team won the Hockey World Cup that year.
After his retirement as Vice-Chancellor of the Panjab University, he accepted the offer of the university as Professor Emeritus. His latest contribution was the publication of a monograph on Fluorine Chemistry and a number of biographical memoirs of celebrated scientists published by INSA, New Delhi. He was decorated with the life time achievement award by the Indian Chemical Society.
Text : Based on information received from the proponent.