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{{Short description|Indian physicist}} | |||
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'''Sisir Kumar Mitra''' (or ''Shishirkumar Mitra'') [[Order of the British Empire|MBE]], [[Indian National Science Academy|FNI]], [[The Asiatic Society|FASB]], [[Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science|FIAS]], [[Fellow of the Royal Society|FRS]] (24 October 1890 – 13 August 1963) was an | '''Sisir Kumar Mitra''' (or ''Shishirkumar Mitra'') [[Order of the British Empire|MBE]], [[Indian National Science Academy|FNI]], [[The Asiatic Society|FASB]], [[Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science|FIAS]], [[Fellow of the Royal Society|FRS]] (24 October 1890 – 13 August 1963) was an Indian [[physicist]].<ref>S. K. Mitra, "The Upper Atmosphere", Calcutta, Royal Asiatic Society of Bengal, 1947.</ref> | ||
==Early life and education== | ==Early life and education== | ||
Mitra was born in his father's hometown of [[Konnagar]], a suburb of [[Kolkata]] (then Calcutta) located in the [[Hooghly district|Hooghly District]] in the [[Bengal Presidency]] (present-day [[West Bengal]]).<ref name="Mitra_life">{{cite web|title=Professor S. K. Mitra: his pioneering work on radio science|url=http://www.currentscience.ac.in/Downloads/article_id_068_11_1150_1159_0.pdf|website=[[Current Science]]|access-date=12 October 2017}}</ref> He was the third son of Joykrishna Mitra, who was a schoolteacher at the time of Mitra's birth, and Saratkumari, a medical student whose family came from [[Midnapore]].<ref name="Mitra_life"/><ref name="Mitra_bio_INSA">{{Cite journal | last1 = Bhar | first1 = J. N. | url =http://www.insaindia.res.in/BM/BM1_6611.pdf | title = Sisir Kumar Mitra 1890–1963 | journal = Biographical Memoirs of Fellows of the Indian National Science Academy| volume = 1 | pages = 106–127 | year = 1964 }}</ref> While Mitra's paternal family were orthodox Hindus, his mother's family were adherents of the progressive [[Brahmo Samaj]], and were noted in Midnapore for their advanced outlook.<ref name="Mitra_bio_INSA"/> In 1878, Joykrishna Mitra had joined the Brahmo Samaj and married his wife, against the wishes of his family, who responded by severing ties with him. As a consequence, the newly wed couple moved to Saratkumari's hometown of Midnapore, where Joykrishna and his wife had two sons – Satish Kumar and Santosh Kumar – and a daughter before Joykrishna moved his family to Kolkata in 1889; there, he became a schoolteacher. Mitra was born the following year.<ref name="Mitra_bio_INSA"/> | Mitra was born in his father's hometown of [[Konnagar]], a suburb of [[Kolkata]] (then Calcutta) located in the [[Hooghly district|Hooghly District]] in the [[Bengal Presidency]] (present-day [[West Bengal]]).<ref name="Mitra_life">{{cite web|title=Professor S. K. Mitra: his pioneering work on radio science|url=http://www.currentscience.ac.in/Downloads/article_id_068_11_1150_1159_0.pdf|website=[[Current Science]]|access-date=12 October 2017}}</ref> He was the third son of Joykrishna Mitra, who was a schoolteacher at the time of Mitra's birth, and Saratkumari, a medical student whose family came from [[Midnapore]].<ref name="Mitra_life"/><ref name="Mitra_bio_INSA">{{Cite journal | last1 = Bhar | first1 = J. N. | url =http://www.insaindia.res.in/BM/BM1_6611.pdf | title = Sisir Kumar Mitra 1890–1963 | journal = Biographical Memoirs of Fellows of the Indian National Science Academy| volume = 1 | pages = 106–127 | year = 1964 }}</ref> While Mitra's paternal family were orthodox Hindus, his mother's family were adherents of the progressive [[Brahmo Samaj]], and were noted in Midnapore for their advanced outlook.<ref name="Mitra_bio_INSA"/> In 1878, Joykrishna Mitra had joined the Brahmo Samaj and married his wife, against the wishes of his family, who responded by severing ties with him. As a consequence, the newly wed couple moved to Saratkumari's hometown of Midnapore, where Joykrishna and his wife had two sons – Satish Kumar and Santosh Kumar – and a daughter before Joykrishna moved his family to Kolkata in 1889; there, he became a schoolteacher. Mitra was born the following year.<ref name="Mitra_bio_INSA"/> | ||
While in Kolkata, Joykrishna became acquainted with several distinguished scholars, notably [[Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar]] and [[Bipin Chandra Pal]]. Sharing Saratkumari's progressive outlook, Joykrishna secured his wife's admission as a student at [[Nil Ratan Sircar Medical College and Hospital|Campbell Medical College]]. In 1892, Saratkumari qualified as a physician and received an appointment at the Lady Dufferin Hospital in the city of [[Bhagalpur]], then in the Bengal Presidency (now in [[Bihar]]). The family thus moved to Bhagalpur, where Saratkumari began her new career, with Joykrishna securing a position as a municipal clerk. A third son, Mitra's younger brother Sarat Kumar, was born at Bhagalpur shortly after.<ref name="Mitra_bio_INSA"/> | While in Kolkata, Joykrishna became acquainted with several distinguished scholars, notably [[Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar]] and [[Bipin Chandra Pal]]. Sharing Saratkumari's progressive outlook, Joykrishna secured his wife's admission as a student at [[Nil Ratan Sircar Medical College and Hospital|Campbell Medical College]]. In 1892, Saratkumari qualified as a physician and received an appointment at the Lady Dufferin Hospital in the city of [[Bhagalpur]], then in the Bengal Presidency (now in [[Bihar]]). The family thus moved to Bhagalpur, where Saratkumari began her new career, with Joykrishna securing a position as a municipal clerk. A third son, Mitra's younger brother Sarat Kumar, was born at Bhagalpur shortly after.<ref name="Mitra_bio_INSA"/> | ||
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In Bhagalpur, Mitra began school at the Bhagalpore Zilla School. Around 1897–1898, when aged six or seven, his interest in atmospheric science began after hearing the story of Ramchandra Chatterjee, a Bengali aeronaut who a year before Mitra's birth, on 4 May 1889, had become the first Indian to make a solo balloon flight.<ref name="Mitra_bio_INSA"/><ref>{{cite web|title=The First Indian Aeronaut|url=http://insa.nic.in/writereaddata/UpLoadedFiles/IJHS/Vol27_3_6_AGhosh.pdf|website=Indian Journal of the History of Science|access-date=12 October 2017}}</ref> The story prompted Mitra to ask his elder brother Satish Kumar about the principles of lighter-than-air flight; his brother explained as best as he could. A few years afterwards, both of Mitra's elder brothers died; following this harsh blow, Joykrishna soon suffered a paralytic attack and became an invalid. Despite the family's increasing financial burdens, Saratkumari managed to educate her two surviving sons.<ref name="Mitra_bio_INSA"/> During his childhood and adolescence, Mitra nurtured his interest in science through reading popular scientific articles by leading Bengali scientists, including some by [[Jagadish Chandra Bose]]. After passing his examinations from the Bhagalpore Zilla school, Mitra was admitted to the FA (intermediate-level) program at the [[T.N.B. College, Bhagalpur|T.N.J. College]]; his father Joykrishna died shortly after.<ref name="Mitra_bio_INSA"/> | In Bhagalpur, Mitra began school at the Bhagalpore Zilla School. Around 1897–1898, when aged six or seven, his interest in atmospheric science began after hearing the story of Ramchandra Chatterjee, a Bengali aeronaut who a year before Mitra's birth, on 4 May 1889, had become the first Indian to make a solo balloon flight.<ref name="Mitra_bio_INSA"/><ref>{{cite web|title=The First Indian Aeronaut|url=http://insa.nic.in/writereaddata/UpLoadedFiles/IJHS/Vol27_3_6_AGhosh.pdf|website=Indian Journal of the History of Science|access-date=12 October 2017}}</ref> The story prompted Mitra to ask his elder brother Satish Kumar about the principles of lighter-than-air flight; his brother explained as best as he could. A few years afterwards, both of Mitra's elder brothers died; following this harsh blow, Joykrishna soon suffered a paralytic attack and became an invalid. Despite the family's increasing financial burdens, Saratkumari managed to educate her two surviving sons.<ref name="Mitra_bio_INSA"/> During his childhood and adolescence, Mitra nurtured his interest in science through reading popular scientific articles by leading Bengali scientists, including some by [[Jagadish Chandra Bose]]. After passing his examinations from the Bhagalpore Zilla school, Mitra was admitted to the FA (intermediate-level) program at the [[T.N.B. College, Bhagalpur|T.N.J. College]]; his father Joykrishna died shortly after.<ref name="Mitra_bio_INSA"/> | ||
After passing his FA examinations in 1908, Mitra was admitted as a student in [[Presidency College, Kolkata|Presidency College]] of the [[University of Calcutta]] where he earned a [[B.Sc.]] | After passing his FA examinations in 1908, Mitra was admitted as a student in [[Presidency College, Kolkata|Presidency College]] of the [[University of Calcutta]] where he earned a [[B.Sc.]] He continued to develop a passion for physics and scientific research, and was accepted by Jagadish Bose as a research scholar upon completing his master's degree in 1912 with the highest honours. He worked under Professor Bose for a few months before being forced to end his studies due to his family's financial difficulties.<ref name="Mitra_bio_INSA"/> | ||
==University studies and research in France== | ==University studies and research in France== | ||
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==Research in India== | ==Research in India== | ||
Prior to returning to India, Mitra had corresponded with Ashutosh Mukherjee about the growing importance of [[wireless]] science and the need to include it in the post-graduate physics curriculum at the [[Rajabazar Science College]], University of Calcutta.<ref name="Mitra_bio_INSA"/> Upon his return to Kolkata, he was appointed the university's Khaira Professor of Physics. With Mukherjee's support, in 1924 a "Wireless" course was introduced as an elective in the Physics MSc. curriculum and a Wireless Laboratory established for research in electron tubes and radio wave propagation.<ref name="Mitra_bio_INSA"/> He also initiated a new department at the [[University of Calcutta]] that later became the ''Institute of Radio Physics and Electronics''. | Prior to returning to India, Mitra had corresponded with Ashutosh Mukherjee about the growing importance of [[wireless]] science and the need to include it in the post-graduate physics curriculum at the [[Rajabazar Science College]], University of Calcutta.<ref name="Mitra_bio_INSA"/> Upon his return to Kolkata, he was appointed the university's Khaira Professor of Physics. With Mukherjee's support, in 1924 a "Wireless" course was introduced as an elective in the Physics MSc. curriculum and a Wireless Laboratory established for research in electron tubes and radio wave propagation.<ref name="Mitra_bio_INSA"/> He also initiated a new department at the [[University of Calcutta]] that later became the ''Institute of Radio Physics and Electronics''. Mitra was the Guide to many Ph.D students, prominent among them was [[Arun Kumar Choudhury]]. | ||
==Awards and honors== | ==Awards and honors== | ||
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* Presidency of the Indian National Science Academy, 1959–60. | * Presidency of the Indian National Science Academy, 1959–60. | ||
* National Professorship, 1962. | * National Professorship, 1962. | ||
* [[Padma Bhushan]], 1962.<ref name="Padma Awards">{{cite web |url=http://mha.nic.in/sites/upload_files/mha/files/LST-PDAWD-2013.pdf |title=Padma Awards |publisher=Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India |date=2015 |access-date=21 July 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https:// | * [[Padma Bhushan]], 1962.<ref name="Padma Awards">{{cite web |url=http://mha.nic.in/sites/upload_files/mha/files/LST-PDAWD-2013.pdf |title=Padma Awards |publisher=Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India |date=2015 |access-date=21 July 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151015193758/http://mha.nic.in/sites/upload_files/mha/files/LST-PDAWD-2013.pdf |archive-date=15 October 2015 |df=dmy }}</ref> | ||
* ''S. K. Mitra Center for Research in Space Environment'' of the University of Calcutta is named for him. | * ''S. K. Mitra Center for Research in Space Environment'' of the University of Calcutta is named for him. | ||
* The crater [[Mitra (crater)|Mitra]] on the [[Moon]] is named after him. | * The crater [[Mitra (crater)|Mitra]] on the [[Moon]] is named after him. | ||
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==External links== | ==External links== | ||
*{{Commons category inline}} | *{{Commons category-inline}} | ||
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20160812220241/http://www.insaindia.org.in/deceaseddetail.php?id=F000467 Biography] | * [https://web.archive.org/web/20160812220241/http://www.insaindia.org.in/deceaseddetail.php?id=F000467 Biography] | ||
* [http://www.calcuttayellowpages.com/shishirkr.html Shri Shishirkumar Mitra] | * [http://www.calcuttayellowpages.com/shishirkr.html Shri Shishirkumar Mitra] | ||
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{{Authority control}} | {{Authority control}} | ||
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mitra, Sisir Kumar}} | {{DEFAULTSORT:Mitra, Sisir Kumar}} | ||
[[Category:1890 births]] | [[Category:1890 births]] | ||