National Academy of Sciences of India

National Academy of Sciences of India
Name	National Academy of Sciences of India
Abbrev	NASI
Formation	1930
Type	Learned society
Headquarters	Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh
Location	India
Leader title	President

National Academy of Sciences of India is an Indian learned society established in 1930 to promote scientific research and scholarship across the subcontinent. Founded in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, the Academy has interacted with institutions such as Indian Science Congress Association, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, Indian Council of Agricultural Research, Indian Institutes of Technology, and Jawaharlal Nehru University while collaborating with international bodies including the Royal Society, National Academy of Sciences (United States), Academia Sinica, Max Planck Society, and European Molecular Biology Organization.

History

The Academy was founded in 1930 in Prayagraj with involvement from figures connected to Sir Jagadish Chandra Bose, C. V. Raman, Prafulla Chandra Ray, Satyendra Nath Bose, and contemporaries associated with institutions such as Bengal Engineering College, Banaras Hindu University, Calcutta University, and Aligarh Muslim University. Early decades saw interaction with commissions and committees linked to Indian Council of Medical Research, Central Drug Research Institute, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, and planning bodies influenced by reports like the Sargent Report and advisory groups resembling the Atomic Energy Commission of India. Through the post-independence era the Academy engaged with national projects connected to Green Revolution, National Science Day, Five-Year Plans of India, and research centers including Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Indian Statistical Institute, and Physical Research Laboratory.

Organization and Governance

The Academy's governance structure includes a President, Secretary, Treasurer and a Council drawn from Fellows elected from organizations such as University of Calcutta, University of Madras, Panjab University, Osmania University, and Banaras Hindu University. Administrative offices in Prayagraj coordinate activities that liaise with bodies like Ministry of Science and Technology (India), Department of Biotechnology, University Grants Commission (India), and corporate partners akin to Tata Group. Statutes and by-laws reflect precedents set by organizations such as the Royal Society and National Academy of Sciences (United States), with meetings patterned after assemblies like the Indian Science Congress.

Membership and Fellows

Fellowship is conferred on scientists and scholars from institutions including Indian Institute of Science, IIT Bombay, IIT Delhi, IIT Kanpur, IIT Madras, IISER Kolkata, CSIR-Central Leather Research Institute, National Chemical Laboratory, and Central Drug Research Institute. Notable Fellows historically have had associations with C. V. Raman, Meghnad Saha, Homi J. Bhabha, Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar, Har Gobind Khorana, G. N. Ramachandran, and researchers from All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Christian Medical College, Vellore, and Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research. Honorary Fellows and Foreign Fellows have included invitees affiliated with Royal Society, Max Planck Society, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and National Academy of Sciences (United States).

Activities and Programs

The Academy organizes lectures, symposia, and conferences with partners like Indian Council of Agricultural Research, Indian Space Research Organisation, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and European Space Agency. Outreach activities include student programs linked to Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan, teacher workshops similar to initiatives by National Council of Educational Research and Training, and public lectures held in collaboration with institutions such as Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics, Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology, and National Institute of Immunology. The Academy runs regional chapters interacting with universities like University of Delhi, Madras Christian College, Pune University, and research centers such as Bhabha Atomic Research Centre.

Publications and Research Contributions

The Academy publishes proceedings, memoirs, and journals that feature research from laboratories including Tata Memorial Centre, Thermal Power Research Institute, Indian Agricultural Research Institute, and Central Drug Research Institute. Its publications have disseminated work connected to discoveries associated with C. V. Raman, S. N. Bose, Homi J. Bhabha, Meghnad Saha, and developments in areas linked to Space applications, Nuclear energy, Biotechnology, Plant breeding and collaborations with International Centre for Theoretical Physics. Library collections and archives at the Academy complement outputs from repositories like National Library of India and catalogues patterned on Bibliothèque nationale de France and Library of Congress.

Awards and Recognitions

The Academy confers medals, prizes, and lectureships including awards named for pioneers comparable to C. V. Raman, Prafulla Chandra Roy, Meghnad Saha, and honors that parallel national decorations such as Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan, and fellowship recognitions akin to Fellow of the Royal Society. Awardees often hail from laboratories and universities such as IISc Bangalore, IIT Kharagpur, IIT Roorkee, Indian Statistical Institute, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, and research hospitals like All India Institute of Medical Sciences. The Academy's awards are presented at convocations and ceremonies modeled after gatherings like the Indian Science Congress and international symposia with delegations from Royal Society, National Academy of Sciences (United States), and Academia Europaea.

Category:Scientific societies based in India Category:Learned societies of India