December 1980 Newsletter of the Indian Academy of Sciences From the President Dear Colleagues, The journals and publications of the Academy for original research articles have grown very rapidly in recent years in range, variety, volume and vitality, as a result of the strong support and commitment by Fellows and the community of scientists. The bonds thus established within the community are strong and valuable. The Patrika is intended to provide the means for dissemination and exchange of information on plans, lectures, meetings, visitors and a host of other activities, all of which contribute towards the nurturing of the traditions and values of science. Patrika will, as with other new publications of the Academy, attain vigour and style from the interest of the Fellowship of the Academy. I have much pleasure in inviting suggestions and contributions from all Fellows. - 5 Varadarajan Organising Academy lectures, symposia and Academy highlights discussion meetings are some of the other activities of the Academy. The Academy was founded in 1934 by Prof. Sir C V Raman, with the objective of promoting the progress and upholding the cause of science both in pure and applied Council for the branches; this was to be implemented by undertaking several activities, the chief of triennium 1980-82 them being the publ'ication of journals, books, memoirs, proceedings and transactions relating The outgoing Council held an election in to scientific researches. December 1979 to constitute the Council for the next triennium 1980-82. The composition of The Academy started its publication activity the present Council is as follows. in the year of its founding, 1934. No.1 of Vol.l, Section 'A' of the Proceedings of the Prof. T N Ananthakrishnan Academy was issued in July 1934. Zoological Survey of India Calcutta 700012 The publication activity has grown many­ fold in recent years and has responded to the Prof. B K Bachhawat needs of the scientific community and of the Indian Institute of Experimental Medicine emerging areas of science. The Academy now Calcutta 700032 publishes its Proceedings in the following Prof. M K V Bappu, Vice President areas: chemical sciences, earth and planetary Indian Institute of Astrophysics sciences, mathematical sciences, animal Bangalore 560 034 sciences, plant sciences and engineering sciences. It publishes Pramana (a journal of Dr. P K Das physics) in collaboration with the Indian India Meteorological Department National Science Academy and the Indian New Delhi 110003 Physics Association, the Bulletin of Materials Prof. S Dhawan Science in collaboration with the Indian Indian Institute of Science National Science Academy, the Journal of Bangalore 560 012 Biosciences and Journal of Astrophysics and Astronomy. Prof. D La!, F.R.S., Vice President Physical Research Laboratory The Academy has under its roof the office of Ahmedabad 380009 the Current Science Association which publishes the fortnightly journal Current Prof. M G K Menon, F.R.S. Science. There is a fruitful collaboration Department of Science and Technology between the Academy and the Association. New Delhi 110029 Within ten years of its founding, the Dr. B Nag Academy founded in 1943 the Raman Research Department of Electronics Institute. The Academy nurtured it for several New Delhi 110 003 years, built up its funds and properties including a large portion of land gifted to the Prof. M S Narasimhan, Vice President School of Mathematics Academy by the Government of Mysore. The Institute is now an autonomous research Tata Institute of Fundamental Research Bombay 400 005 institution, functioning under a Public Charitable Trust created in 1971. Prof. R Narasimha, Secretary In 1972 the Academy established a Chair in Department of Aeronautical Engineering the name of its founder Sir C V Raman with an Indian Institute of Science endowment of Rs.6 lakhs granted by the Bangalore 560012 Department of Science and Technology. Dr. Nitya Nand Eminent men of science have occupied the Central Drug Research Institute Raman Chair. Lucknow 226 001 Within the last five years the annual budget Prof. V Radhakrishnan, Treasurer of the Academy has increased from Rs.3.63 Raman Research Institute lakhs in 1975-76 to Rs.9.90 lakhs in 1979-80. Bangalore 560 080 The publication activity which accounts for about 93 percent of the Academy's Prof. C N R Rao, Secretary expenditure, is mainly supported by grants Solid State and Structural Chemistry Unit received from the Department of Science and Indian Institute of Science Technology, Government of India. Bangalore 560012 Prof. S Ramaseshan General Editor of Publications Fellows elected in Indian Institute of Science Bangalore 560012 1980 Prof. A K Sharma Department of Botany Prof. G S Agarwal, School of Physics, University of Calcutta University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad 500 134 Calcutta 700 019 Prof. T C Anand Kumar, Department of prof. 0 Siddiqi Anatomy, All India Institute of Medical Molecular Biology Unit SCiences, New Delhi 110029 Tata Institute of Fundamental Research Prof. P Balaram, Molecular Biophysics Unit, Bombay 400005 Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012 Prof.- Virendra Singh Prof. D Balasubramanian, School of Chemistry, Theoretical Physics Group University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad 500 134 Tata Institute of Fundamental Research Bombay 400 005 Prof. M V Bhatt, Department of Organic Chemistry, Indian Institute of Science, Prof. C V Subramanian, Vice President Bangalore 560 012 Centre for Advanced Study in Botany University of Madras Prof. M K Bose, Department of Geology, Mad ras 600 005 Presidency College, Calcutta 700 073 Dr. S Varadarajan, President Prof. D Chakravorty, Advanced Centre for Indian Petrochemicals Corporation Ltd. Materials Science, Indian Institute of Baroda 391 346 Technology, Kanpur 208 016 Prof. M S Valiathan Prof. K Krishnamurty, Institute of Medical Sree Chitra Tirunal Medical Centre Sciences, Hyderabad 500 004 Trivandrum 695011. Prof. P T Manoharan, Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology, Madras 600036 Past Presidents Prof. V M Meher-Homji, Department of Ecology-Bioclimatology, Institut Francais, Prof. Sir C V Raman 1934-1970 Pondicherry 605 001 Prof. T S Sadasivan 1971-1973 Dr. KG Nair, Honorary Cardiologist and Prof. M G K Menon 1974-1976 Physician, 8, Ashley House, 167-A Colaba Road, Prof. S Dhawan 1977-1979 Bombay 400 005 Prof. R Natarajan, Centre of Advanced Study in Marine Biology, Annamalai University, Honorary Fellows Portanova 608 502 . Prof. G Nath, Department of Applied elected in 1980 Mathematics, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012 Prof. E N Lorenz, Department of Meteorology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dr. N 5 Rangaswamy, Department of Botany, Cambridge, Mass. 02139, USA University of Delhi, Delhi 110007 Prof. John M Thomas, Department of Physical Dr. A Sarabhai, Director, Sarabhai Enterprises, Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Shahibag, Ahmedabad 380004 Cambridge CB2 1 EP, UK Prof. D V Singh, Department of Mechanical Lord Alexander Todd, Christ's College, and Industrial Engineering, University of Cambridge CB2 3BU, UK Roorkee, Roorkee 247 672 Dr. Sushil Kumar, Divisioil of Genetics, Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi 110012 Prof. K Venkatesan, Department of Organic Chemistry, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560 012 Prof. C S Warke, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Bombay 400 005 Prof. N Bloembergen, Rumford Professor of Raman Chair Physics, Harvard University, USA (Raman Spectroscopy and Nonrinear Optics) visited The Raman Chair was instituted in 1972, to India between September-December 1979 and commemorate the memory of the founder of worked at the Raman Research Institute. He the Academy, Prof. Sir C V Raman. It is gave six lectures at the discussion meeting on supported by an endowment of Rs.6 lakhs 'Nonlinear Optics' which was arranged by the granted by the Department of Science and Academy at the Indian Institute of Science, to Technology. Government of India. The interest coincide with his visit. He gave the Gandhi from the endowment is utilised to meet the Memorial Lecture at the Raman Research cost of the Chair. Institute on "Reflections on Light" on 2 October 1979. He also visited and lectured at Appointments to the Chair are made by Kalpakkam, Trivandrum, Madurai, invitation from the Council of the Academy. Bhubaneswar, Calcutta, Kanpur and Bombay. Eminent scientists from any country of the world and from any scientific discipline can be Prof. Sir Charles Frank from H H Wills Physics invited to occupy the Chair for periods Laboratory, Bristol, UK (Liquid Crystals) between 3-6 months. While they are nominally occupied the Chair between December 1979 based at the Raman Research Institute for and February 1980 and worked at the Raman operational convenience, they are free to visit Research Institute, Bangalore. He took part in other institutions in the country, interact with the International Conference on Liquid Crystals scientists in India, participate in scientific held at Bangalore from 3 to 8 December 1979. programmes like conferences, symposia etc. He also visited and lectured at other research and deliver lectures/seminars. Younger centres in the country like Bombay, New Delhi, scientists can also be associated with the Mysore, Madras and Kanpur. Raman Professor during the period he occupies Prof. K R Ramanathan (Atmospheric Physics), the Chair. A number of distinguished scientists a founder Fellow of the Academy and a close invited as Raman Professors have spent periods associate of Prof. Raman was the fifth Raman of the order of three months and more carrying Professor. He occupied the Chair for a period out research, visiting institutions, giving of three months from August to November lectures and meeting many young scientists. 1980, working mainly at the Physical Research Prof. Robert Hanbury Brown from the Laboratory, Ahmedabad. He visited Bangalore University of Sydney, New South Wales during August 1980 and gave a number of (Astronomy and Astrophysics) was the first lectures at Bangalore, Madras, Bombay and Raman Professor. He occupied the Chair from Hyderabad. July to October 1974, working at the Raman Prof.