Krishna Bahadur and S Ranganayaki Papers

The collection is arranged into six series.

Series one is Correspondence and contains a combination of handwritten and typed letters, and drafts. It is divided into six sub-series, with the first five sub-series consisting of letters from 1950 to 1999 arranged decade wise. The last sub-series consists only of undated letters. The letters are often to and from colleagues, and collaborators in India and abroad on a variety of themes including experimental ideas, research interests, reports, and proposals. A portion of the letters are logistical and administrative correspondence regarding travel, accommodation, and others. It also includes letters from friends and family.

Series two consists of administrative documents. This series includes certificates of both Krishna Bahadur and S Ranganayaki, biodatas, appointment orders, thesis reports, grant applications and proposals, and documents related to symposiums like the International Symposium for Study of Origin of Life. Also contained in this series are lists of publications of both Bahadur and Ranganayaki.

Series three, Research Writings and Output, is divided into two sub-series labelled drafts and publications, in that order. Sub-series one mostly contains writing related to work on amino acids, origins of life, and nitrogen fixation. It also consists a thesis report on work done on yeast, and a report of the work conducted at Imperial College, London as a Nuffield Travelling Fellow. Sub-series two consists of publications from the 1950s to the 1980s, and an undated book on the Origin of Life.

Series four, Research Data and References is divided into three sub-series labelled Notes and Notebooks, Research Data, and Research References, in that order. Sub-series one consists of lab notebooks relating to work on yeast, a bound book of papers on chromatography of amino acids and related compounds, and other notes, the bulk of them handwritten on origins of life, Jeewanu, and other experiments. Sub-series two consists of data from various analytical techniques. This sub-series includes microscopy images, Scanning Electron Microscopy images, data from chromatography, spectrophotometry measurements, pressure over time graphs, and data from pH measurements and ascorbic acid experiments. Sub-series three contains research references from the 1960's.

Series five, consisting of non-academic writings, is divided into three sub-series labelled Science Education, Commentary on Jeewanu, and Other Writings, in that order. The bulk of sub-series one consists of handwritten notes in Hindi on topics in organic chemistry. It also contains a write-up on the Origin of Life, and on celestial bodies. Sub-series two consists mostly of material referencing the work on Jeewanu in various capacities — confirmation of the work, refutal of the work, and Bahadur's own response to commentary on his work. Sub-series three consists of writing related to Bahadur's other interests like humanity and civilization, and a copy of a chemistry booklet.

Series six, consists of a variety of personal material ranging from photographs, an obituary for Bahadur written by Ranganayaki, a Kindergarten class report and other ephemera.