K S Krishnan Papers

Content Description

The accession consists of letters, notebooks, photographs and published research material related to K S Krishnan. K S Krishnan was an Indian physicist and scientific administrator. He was the co-discoverer of the Raman-scattering for which his mentor, C V Raman, received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1930. He was associated with Dacca University, the Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science and Allahabad University. He was the first director of the National Physical Laboratory in Delhi. Krishnan was interested in physics and chemistry and had conducted experimental studies on the scattering of light in liquids and the magnetic and optical properties of crystals. The accession includes original papers from K S Krishnan. The correspondence mainly comes from colleagues - scientists, scientific administrators, scientific institutions, and international governments. There are also a few letters of condolence from Krishnan’s friends and family after his sudden death in 1963. Krishnan was part of the Tamil Sangam and other Tamil language and cultural organisations; there are letters from these organisations and individuals. Also included are letters from Krishnan's family -- regarding memorial events and other retrospectives, especially a biography of Krishnan, which have also been retained in the collection. Research material includes drafts of papers, published papers, laboratory notes and notebooks. Krishnan began his scientific career at the Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science, working in their laboratory on experimental studies on the scattering of light. Notebooks cover his notes from these experiments and his work at Dacca University on the magnetic properties of crystals. He also collected reprints and published research material from his peers on similar topics. Krishnan became a prominent scientist and later headed the National Physical Laboratory and has delivered multiple talks, addresses and writings on science and society; this work in the form of discussions and writings has been retained. As an administrator and prominent public personality, Krishnan has amassed a large set of ephemera related to his life and work; this includes invitations from meetings and conferences, biographical material sent to organisations and the press, address books and planners, and several greetings and postcards from dignitaries, peers and friends. The photographs include a few official pictures of the setting up of the National Physical Laboratory in Delhi. A few photographs are from foreign trips and public events in India and abroad.

Condition Description

The collection contains letters, account registers and notebooks written in iron gall ink. These documents are fragile and need to be handled with care.

Accession Date

2023-07-21

Dispostion

The collection draws from material related to K S Krishnan donated by Vijay Thiruvady, Krishnan’s grandson and research material from DCV Mallik. Physical material was received on June 21st, 2023 by Venkat Srinivasan, Archives at NCBS.

Acquisition Type

Gift

Retention Rule

The K S Krishnan collection could be used to study the development of experimental physics, crystallography and national laboratories in India. The material is a valuable resource for those interested in understanding the development of scientific institutions in post-independence India. The Archives has offered to preserve and catalogue these materials. The donor and the archives have agreed that the archives will have full authority to handle the material in the future.

Language of Description

English

Script of Description

Latin

Restrictions Apply

Yes

Access Restrictions

Open for access unless stated otherwise.

Use Restrictions

Copyright may not have been assigned to Archives, National Centre for Biological Sciences. Permission for reproduction or distribution must be obtained in writing from the Archives at NCBS (archives@ncbs.res.in). The Archives at NCBS makes no representation that it is the copyright owner in all of its collections. The user must obtain all necessary rights and clearances before use of material and material may only be reproduced for academic and non-commercial use.