CNR Rao, the story of an Indian legend

There are many kinds of stories in life. There are stories of success, fame and glamour. These stories are about people who won everything in their field and received immense praise and recognition for it. There are also stories of people who worked every day, put effort over ecstasy, and did everything they could in their field. These people, too, win awards, but sadly, don't get the recognition they deserve.

Such a contrast is clearly evident in the 2014 Bharat Ratna. That year, two men received the award. One was Sachin Tendulkar, a man known to everyone, whether a factory worker or a billionaire. Sure, he has put in unimaginable amounts of effort, but at least he gets credit for his talent and skill. On the other side, a 79-year-old by the name of C. N. R. Rao stood, receiving the highest award any man can ever achieve. Yet, almost nobody knows his name.

C. N. R. Rao's story isn't only about awards and achievements; it is one about perseverance, hard work, and a brain that never gave up. If you don't know who he is, he is a chemistry researcher who worked in solid-state chemistry and materials research. He started studying chemistry in 1951 at BHU, and he eventually got a PhD at Purdue University. After his PhD, he returned to IISc Bangalore to work as a lecturer, and he began a career in chemistry. His long career involved working at IIT Kanpur, serving for 10 years as IISc Bangalore's director, and even working for the Government of India.

What makes his career impressive is that he has written 1,750 publications, written 53 books, and won countless major prizes in chemistry. Some of his international awards include the Hughes Medal (2000) and the Royal Medal (2009) from the Royal Society, the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Star (2015) from Japan, and the von Hippel Award (2017) from the Materials Research Society.

Additionally, his research has been crucial to the development of various technologies, such as sensors, electronic devices, energy-storage devices, nanotechnology, and more.

Here you have it: C. N. R. Rao, a man who has made an uncountable number of scientific contributions, yet is known by barely anyone. It is sad that we live in a country where such a marvellous man is unknown. Honestly, there are so many people in society who master their fields, do everything for their nation, yet still don't get the credit they deserve. Stories like this remind us that success isn't about being the most famous; it is about unwavering tenacity and perseverance.