Presidency’s chemistry dept to celebrate 150th anniv

Kolkata: The chemistry department of Presidency University (PU) — the oldest in the country — is all set to celebrate its 150 years through a symposium, seminar competition for students, quiz on chemistry and a reunion.

The inaugural programme followed by a one-day national symposium will be held on March 28. On March 29, there will be a seminar competition for postgraduate students and on March 31 there will be a chemistry quiz. The reunion will take place on April 1 along with Rajarshi Bhattacharya memorial lecture.

According to Arnab Halder, head of the Chemistry department, Alexander Pedlar joined as the first professor of the department in 1874. When Pedlar joined, the chemistry classes were held at Albert Hall, now Indian Coffee House. In 1880 Pedlar published a research paper on cobra poison in the Journal of the Chemistry Society and his Indian research stretched to the study of the action of light in phosphorus, and the explosion of hydrogen sulphur and chlorine vapours with air and oxygen.

In 1889 he was elected Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry. Coincidentally Acharya Prafulla Chandra Ray joined the Presidency the same year. Overcoming the limited resources in 1892, Ray established Bengal Chemicals which paved the way for Chemistry research on an industrial scale.

In 1894, Ray joined hands with geology professor of the Presidency, Thomas Holland and started chemical analysis of different minerals. In 1895 he discovered Mercurous Nitrite and that opened a new chapter in his life.