Nobel laureate C.V. Raman's work on light scattering

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C. V. Raman, the founder of Raman spectroscopy and the first Asian Nobel Prize winner in physics, exemplifies the emergence of physics as an academic discipline in India. His early research in acoustics and optics established his international reputation, but it was his discovery of the Raman effect in 1928 that immortalized him, leading to the Nobel Prize in 1930. This work delves into the details of his groundbreaking finding and its reception by the Western scientific community. By examining Nobel Committee documents, the author investigates why the prize was not shared with Raman's co-worker or a competing group of Russian physicists. Raman is portrayed as an uncompromising and intuitive scientist whose disputes with colleagues reflected both his personality and India's internal politics. His scientific controversies with German and British scientists stemmed more from his unique perspective on the relationship between theory and experiment than from an "East-West conflict." Utilizing hundreds of previously unknown letters and newspaper articles, the book reveals lesser-known aspects of Raman's interactions with prominent physicists of his time. It aims to present a critical and objective portrayal of Sir C. V. Raman FRS, emphasizing his complexity as a scientist and science organizer rather than as a mere legend.