Science TechnologyWednesday, 29 July 2026·The Hindu - Science
IACS at 150: Mahendralal Sircar’s 1876 scientific institution and C.V. Raman link
The Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science, founded on July 29, 1876, is highlighted for its role in Indian scientific research and C.V. Raman’s early experiments.
Key highlights
Direct fact
In July 2026, the Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science (IACS) marked 150 years since its स्थापना on July 29, 1876, in Calcutta, after Mahendralal Sircar first proposed it in 1869 and again stressed scientific support in 1872.
Key specifics
- Mahendralal Sircar (1833–1904) proposed the IACS in 1869 through the Calcutta Journal of Medicine.
- The Association was established on July 29, 1876, in Calcutta as India’s first national institution for scientific research by Indians.
- Sircar’s 1872 speech at the Bethune Society meeting was held at the Medical College Theatre, Calcutta.
- C.V. Raman noticed the IACS board in 1907 after joining the Accountant General’s Office in Calcutta.
- Raman worked at the IACS laboratory for nearly a decade before resigning in 1917 to take the Palit Professorship of Physics at the University of Calcutta.
Exam lens
Question type: Science history match-the-following, founder-year-institution. TNPSC one-liner: IACS was founded in 1876 by Mahendralal Sircar in Calcutta; C.V. Raman used its laboratories before becoming Palit Professor in 1917.