Pramatha Nath Bose, ‘the first Indian Geologist’ to be appointed to a graded post by the colonial government, quit his job to register his protest against racial discrimination at the highest official level of the British government in India. He later went on to make significant discoveries as a state geologist of Mayurbhanj which led to the foundation of Tata Iron and Steel Company Ltd (TISCO), the first heavy industry of India. From Science to Society: Journey of an Indian Geologist not only traces the significance of Bose’s performance as a graded officer of the Geological Survey of India, but also addresses the ever-changing equations between the practitioners of science and the colonial government, whose primary focus was the commercial exploitation of the mineral resources of the subcontinent.

From being an ardent advocate for the need of industrialization in India, the renowned geoscientist, in his later life became an introvert which eventually led to a complete reorientation of his belief system, mainly rooted in a critique of heavy industrialism—which had become a tool of imperialistic aggression. This book explores the life of Bose, a classic representative of the Western-educated middle class of modern India, and traces how a scientist’s mind finally envisioned the society at large as the actual laboratory for experimenting with his thoughts.

Contents

Preface and Acknowledgements

Abbreviations

1. Eexploring Knowledge, Exploiting its Power
2. A Geologist and his Nation in the Making
3. P.N. Bose and Geology: The Assignments
4. P.N. Bose and Geology: The Adventure
5. A Scientific Mind in the Realm of Bengali Literature
6. The Journey from Science to Society
7. The Search for an Alternative Social Order

Maps and Photos

Appendices

Glossary

Bibliography

Index