Director’s Note

Dear readers,

It is a historic and proud occasion as the Raman Research Institute (RRI) has entered its platinum jubilee year on November 7, 2022. Walking along the path laid down by the institute’s founder-director, renowned physicist and Nobel laureate Sir CV Raman, RRI too, has grown, flourished and reached a leading position among institutions for consistently delivering world-class science for the last seven-and-a-half decades.

The Grand Launch held on November 7, 2022, was graced by the presence (virtual) of the day’s Chief Guest Dr. Srivari Chandrasekhar, Secretary, Department of Science and Technology; Guest of Honour Shri S. Somanath, Chairman, ISRO, along with members of the RRI Governing Council, RRI Trust, past and current members of the Institute, former and serving directors of science and space institutes, many friends of the Institute, faculty and students. The theme of the logo for the Platinum jubilee is inspired by the enigmatic concept of eversion of the sphere in differential topology -- the process of turning a sphere inside out in a three-dimensional space. At this milestone, the vision for RRI, in the coming decades, could be to ‘evert’ and bring out its inner strength built over the first 75 years even as we plan for the future.

Eversion also points to the unity in the diversity of research at RRI. To some, it may seem that RRI is peering out to the wondrous vast cosmos, while in the everted form. To others, it may appear to peer into the mysterious depths of the quantum frontier.

The Institute has so far hosted three conferences –‘Showcasing RRI’, ‘Women in Optics and Photonics in India (WOPI) - 2022’, and ‘Frontiers in Cosmology’. Prominent researchers and seasoned scientists from their respective fields succeeded to breathe-in new life while sharing about the newest developments in Physics and Sciences, in general. While ‘Showcasing RRI’ involved faculties elaborate on the institute’s ongoing research, the maiden WOPI conference was a successful step in RRI’s endeavour to support and promote gender parity in Science.

The new calendar year began on a winning note, as the Institute’s display of its core research and the replica of the Archival Gallery at its stall won laurels at the recently held India International Science Festival in Bhopal.

Keeping pace with research events, RRI also hosted a colourful 74th Republic Day and National Science Day. Challenges and the future of astronomical observations and facilities took the centre-stage at the ‘Frontiers in Cosmology’, an international conference.

As research on many futuristic areas, like quantum technologies advance, and greater collaborations with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) are being envisioned in near future, the visits by delegations from DST, academicians from Switzerland during the recent months is a testimony that the Institute is poised to strengthen and dive deeper into its core research areas in the years to come.

In its 75th year, RRI promises to maintain its momentum and celebrate this milestone through the series of planned conferences, colloquia, talks and events placing the ‘scienceof-tomorrow’ in focus.

We are hopeful of making key contributions to many of India’s promising and path-breaking projects – be it on land, sea or in space.

With best regards,

Tarun Souradeep