Nilratan Sircar
Nilratan Sircar | |
---|---|
British India | |
Nationality | Indian |
Alma mater | Campbell Medical College; University of Calcutta |
Spouse | Nirmala Sircar (née Majumdar |
Relatives | Jogindranath Sarkar |
Sir Nilratan Sircar M.A. M.D. D.Sc. (1 October 1861 – 18 May 1943)[1] was an Indian medical doctor, educationist, philanthropist and swadeshi entrepreneur. He was awarded honorary DCL by University of Oxford & LL.D by University of Edinburgh.[1] He was a renowned figure in promoting Science and Technology education in contemporary India.
Early life
Son of Nandalal Sircar, a native of
Education
Sircar passed the entrance examination for
Family life
In 1888, Sircar married Nirmala, daughter of Girishchandra Mazumdar of Barisal, a scholar and a Brahmo missionary, and became a member of the Brahmo Samaj. The couple went on to have six children, five daughters and one son.[2]
Medical career
Dr Sircar soon grew a large practice and was, for many years, a leading Indian consulting physician, travelling far and wide to treat some of his patients, who included the ruling heads of state in neighbouring countries.
Educational endeavours
Aside from his contribution to the field of medicine, Dr Sircar also contributed greatly to the causes of education, commerce, and politics during his lifetime. He was directly or indirectly involved in the foundation and administration of various national institutes of science in Bengal:
Bose Institute
Sir Nilratan Sircar was the Chairman of the first Governing Body of Bose Institute, which is Asia's first modern interdisciplinary research centre.
Carmichael Medical College
Sir Nilratan Sircar became the president of Medical Education Society of Bengal in 1922 and remained in the position until 1941. The society was formed for better management of the Carmichael Medical College.[3]
Science College of the University of Calcutta
He was one of the enthusiastic founding fathers of the Science College of University of Calcutta.[2]
Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science
Along with other pioneers of Bengal, Sircar was deeply involved in the formation of Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science.[4] and he remained the President of the Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science from 1939 to 1941.
University of Calcutta
Sircar's keen interests in academia saw him being closely associated with the University of Calcutta. He was elected Fellow in 1893 and was responsible for the expansion of post graduate science teaching facilities and research in medical education as well as the introduction of students' health examination and welfare work. He served as the President of the University of Calcutta's Council for Post Graduate Teaching Arts from 1924 to 1929, the President of the Post Graduate teaching in Science from 1924 to 1942[2] and the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Calcutta from 1919 to 1921.[5] In 1920 he travelled to England to represent the University of Calcutta at the Empire Universities Conference in London.
Other institutes
Sircar was also closely associated with the Jadavpur Tuberculosis Hospital and Chittarajan Seva Sadan.
Academic clubs and societies
Sircar served as the President of the Calcutta Medical Club and was for many years remained the Editor-In-Chief of its Journal. He was also one of the founders of the Physiological Society of India established in 1934. During the anti-partition movement in Bengal, Sircar became involved in establishing the National Council of Education. In 1906, Taraknath Pandit and Dr Sircar launched the Society for the Promotion of Technical Education which established the Bengal Technical Institute.
Political life
This was also a time of enormous political turmoil in the Indian subcontinent. The Independence movement was slowly but surely gaining momentum and here too, Sircar was at the helm of affairs. He was closely associated with several leading luminaries of that time, including
Promotion of national trade
His enthusiastic support for the Swadeshi movement saw him set up the National Soap Factory and the National Tannery at Beliaghata in 1905. He was the Director of the Boot and Equipment Factory for period of time and encouraged his manager B.M.Das to organise the Bengal Tanning Institute.
Death
He died in
The death in Calcutta of Sir Nilratan Sircar, at the great age for a Bengali of 81, has removed a leading member of the medical profession in India.
Awards and recognition
On 26 June 1918, Dr. Sircar received a
After his death, his alma mater, the Campbell Medical School was renamed
References
- ^ a b "Nilratan Sircar – the doctor who was born poor and who died poor". Get Bengal. Retrieved 1 July 2020.
- ^ a b c d e Mukherjee, Sujata (2012). "Sircar, Nilratan". In Islam, Sirajul; Jamal, Ahmed A. (eds.). Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh (Second ed.). Asiatic Society of Bangladesh.
- ^ Official website of R. G. Kar Medical College and Hospital Batch 1982–1987 Archived 13 July 2014 at the Wayback Machine, History of R. G. Kar Medical College and Hospital
- ^ Official Website of Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science History of Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science
- ^ Official Website of University of Calcutta Vice Chancellors of University of Calcutta
- ^ The London Gazette, 2 August 1918