1888-1970

Indian physicist who was awarded the 1930 Nobel Prize for Physics for discovering the effect that bears his name. Announced in 1928, the Raman effect refers to the frequency shifts of light due to scattering by molecules. The effect has been effectively exploited as a tool in analyzing molecular structure. Raman was instrumental in promoting the development of Indian science—creating the Indian Journal of Physics (1926) and instigating establishment of the Indian Academy of Sciences (1934).