Subramania Ranganathan (1934-2016) was an Indian bioorganic chemist, professor, and author. Subramanya is the head of the Department of Chemistry at the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur. He is known for his important contributions to chemistry, especially organic synthesis and mechanistic organic chemistry. Subramania Ranganathan died in 2016.
Wiki/Biography
Subramania Ranganathan was born on Friday, February 2, 1934 in Tamil Nadu (aged 81 years; died). Subramania studied at the University of Madras in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, where she received her Bachelor of Science and Master’s degrees in 1957. Subsequently, he worked in the Department of Biochemistry at the Central Leather Research Institute (CLRI). Subramanian received a three-year Sloan Kettering Fellowship to pursue a PhD at The Ohio State University. In 1962, he received his PhD under the supervision of Professor Harold Shechter. From 1962 to 1964, he worked under the guidance of Nobel Prize winner Professor RB Woodward. From 1964 to 1966, Subramanian worked at the Woodward Institute in Basel, Switzerland.
Subramania Ranganathan, Woodward Institute, Basel, Switzerland
appearance
Height (approximately): 5′7″
Hair color: black
Eye color: black
family
Parents and siblings
Not much is known about Subramanian’s parents and siblings.
wife and children
Subramanian Ranganathan is married to Darshan Ranganathan, an organic chemist. Darshan died of breast cancer in 2001. Darshan and Subramanya met in 1969 at a seminar. After the meeting, Subramanya wrote a letter to Darshan proposing to her and she agreed. The two were married on June 4, 1970. Their son Anand Ranganathan was born on December 4, 1972. Anand is a scientist, political analyst and author.
Anand Ranganathan, son of Subramania Ranganathan
Darshan Ranganathan and her husband Subramania Ranganathan
Profession
professor
In 1966, Subramania Ranganathan joined the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur (IIT). His career at IIT Kanpur, during which he retired in 1994, served as Professor, Head of Department of Chemistry and Dean (Professor in Charge of Academic Affairs). Subramanya teaches subjects such as General Chemistry and Frontiers of Biology. He also co-taught courses in biochemistry and biophysics. From 1994 to 1999, he was awarded the position of Senior Scientist by the National Academy of Sciences of India. In 1994, Subramanian served as a senior scientist at the Regional Research Laboratory (later renamed the National Institute of Interdisciplinary Science and Technology or NIIST). In 1998-99, Subramania and his wife worked at the Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (IICT), Hyderabad. Subramania Ranganathan played an important role in the establishment of the Indian Society of Bioorganic Chemists (ISBC). From 1994 to 2002, he served as Chairman of ISBC.
chemist
While Subramanian worked with Professor Woodward, he made contributions that led to the creation of the Woodward-Hoffman rule. It was Subramanian’s reaction mechanism ideas that contributed to the formation of these rules, which earned Professor Woodward the Nobel Prize in 1981. Subramanya traveled to Stockholm to witness Woodward receive the Nobel Prize. Subramanian used to use craftsmanship to create complex molecules; he used origami techniques to achieve this.
Subramania Ranganathan and his origami buckyball model
Subramania works in more than 15 areas of carbon science such as organic chemistry, bioorganic chemistry, inorganic chemistry, bioinorganic chemistry, DNA identification, protein engineering, crystal engineering and chemical topology.
writer/writer
Subramania Ranganathan has authored several research papers, co-authored many books, and even published a newsletter with his wife Darshan. From 1971 to 1979, Darshan and Subramania wrote, edited, typed, printed loops (making an early version of the copy), bound and mailed their newsletter. The newsletter is titled “Current Highlights in Organic Chemistry” and discusses the chemical literature. Subramania has also published in the Journal of Chemical Education. He has also written many articles for Resonance magazine published by the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore. Subramanya wrote his first book, Fascinating Problems in Organic Reaction Mechanisms (1967).
Cover of Subramania Ranganathan’s first book – Fascinating Problems in Organic Reaction Mechanisms (1967)
Subsequently, he co-authored the books “Challenging Issues in Organic Reaction Mechanisms” (1972) and “Further Challenging Issues in Organic Reaction Mechanisms” (1980) with his wife Darshan Ranganathan.
Cover of the book “Challenging Issues in Organic Reaction Mechanisms” by Darshan and Subramania Ranganathan
Subramania also co-authored a book titled The Art of Organic Synthesis (1988) with Nitya Anand and Jasjit S. Bindra. Subramania Ranganathan contributed a chapter on Darshan Ranganathan in the book Daughters of Lilavati – Women Scientists in India (2008).
Awards, Honors, Achievements
- In 1966, Subramanya was awarded the post of lecturer for Professor S. Swaminathan’s 60th Birthday Commemoration Lecture.
- In 1975, Subramania Ranganathan was awarded the Basudev Banerjee Medal.
- In 1977, Subramania Ranganathan received the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize in Chemical Sciences from the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research.
- Subramania Ranganathan received the RC Mehrotra Gold Medal in Endowment in 2000.
- Subramania Ranganathan was awarded the Silver Medal of the Indian Society for Chemical Research in 2001.
- In 2006, the Indian Institute of Chemical Research awarded Subramania Ranganathan the Lifetime Achievement Award.
- Subramania Ranganathan has been awarded the Indian National Science Academy (INSA) Best Teacher Award 2014 by the Indian National Academy of Sciences, New Delhi.
- MF Hussain awarded first prize to Subramania Ranganathan in the All India Cultural Competition for her cell paintings.
A replica of Subramania Ranganathan’s painting Cell won him first place in an all-India cultural competition
die
Subramania Ranganathan passed away on January 8, 2016. On December 28, 2015, Subramania Ranganathan fell and was injured in her apartment, breaking bones. His son Anand Ranganathan rushed Subramanya to the hospital, after which he went to Delhi to stay with his son’s family. Subramanya died on January 8, 2016, in the recovery room of a Delhi hospital.
Facts/Trivia
- In 2000, Subramania Ranganathan and his wife Darshan founded a registered society called Vidyanantha Educational Centre. The center aims to promote education, arts and culture.
- Subramania Ranganathan is popularly known by her nickname Ranga.
- Subramania and Darshan Ranganathan used to ride bicycles to work.
- Subramina used to practice arts like origami and painting. He organized an exhibition of his paintings called “Capturing Science in Art.”
Image of Platonic origami model by Subramania Ranga
- Subramania Ranganathan is an avid reader.
- In 2014, to celebrate Ranga’s 80th birthday, his students, colleagues and admirers gathered at CSIR-IICT (Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, Indian Institute of Chemical Technology). They talked about organic chemistry and shared memories and admired his memory, which he even recited Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address at age 80.
In 2014, Subramania ‘Ranga’ Ranganathan gathered with his students, colleagues and friends to celebrate his 80th birthday
- Rather than having students write a standard 1-hour exam, Subramanian provides them with open-book tests that they can take for as long as they need.
- Subramanya traveled across India giving seminars and lectures. He also traveled and gave chemistry demonstrations with his son Anand in an attempt to make chemistry popular.
Chemiluminescence Chemistry Demonstration by Subramania Ranganathan
Categories: Biography
Source: HIS Education