Amiya Charan Banerjee

Infobox Person
name = Amiya Charan Banerjee


image_size = 100px
caption =
birth_date = 23 January 1891
birth_place = Bhagalpur
death_date = 31 May 1968
death_place = Kolkata
occupation = Mathematician
spouse = Probha

Amiya Charan Banerjee ( _bn. অমিয় চরণ ব্যানার্জি) (23 January, 1891 - 31 May, 1968) was a mathematician and educator popularly known as A.C.Banerjee or simply as Professor Banerjee.

Early life

Family background

His father Gyan Chandra Banerjee was a meritorious student of Presidency College and was a class mate of Narendranath Dutta (later Swami Vivekananda) when they studied law. He belonged to the zemindar family of Maheshtala in 24 Parganas district, now in West Bengal. While a student he was attracted to the Brahmo Samaj, after listening to some of the speeches of Keshub Chunder Sen. When he converted to Brahmo Samaj, his father tried to get him back to the house by force but when he failed to do so, he disinherited him. He joined the judicial service in Bihar and lived an independent life undeterred by what others thought and did. He married Mrinalini, daughter of the Brahmo leader Nibaran Chandra Mukherjee.

Education

Amiya Charan Banerjee was born on 23rd January 1891 in his maternal grandfather’s house at Bhagalpur. As his father had a transferable job, he was educated mostly at Bhagalpur Zilla School. He stood first in the matriculation examination and joined Presidency College, Kolkata. He was all through a topper and on completing his post graduation in mathematics, won a Bihar Government scholarship to go to England. He became a Wrangler and foundation scholar from Clare College, Cambridge.Sengupta, Subodh Chandra and Bose, Anjali (editors), (1976/1998), "Sansad Bangali Charitabhidhan" (Biographical dictionary) Vol I, Bn icon, pp. 29-30, ISBN 8185626650 ]

Nilamani Senapati, a fellow student at Cambridge, and later his brother-in-law and chief secretary of Orissa, described him as being called ‘Father Banerjee’ at Cambridge for his most amiable nature.

Achievements

On his return to the country, he spent some time in Patna but as there was no suitable post vacant for him, he went to Allahabad and started his teaching career as a professor. Allahabad University was a great centre of learning, buzzing with scientists such as Megh Nad Saha and Nil Ratan Dhar. Prof. Banerjee made notable contributions in the field of astro-physics and galactic dynamics. He was vice-chancellor of Allahabad University from 1953-55. He was examiner for doctoral thesis for several universities in India and abroad, and went abroad a number of times on lecture tours. Government of India had assigned to him a project for studying the observatories in Europe and America and for recommending improvements of Indian observatories. On retirement he helped to develop Sri Chaitanya College at Habra in West Bengal. He presided over the All India Brahmo Conference held in 1957. [cite web | url = http://www.allduniv.ac.in/about_exvc.htm
title = About us | accessdate = 2008-02-02 | last = |first = |work = |publisher =Allahabad University]

Prof. Banerjee was nominated president of the 56th session of the Indian Science Congress to be held at Mumbai in 1969 but he died prematurely on 31st May 1968. [cite web | url = http://www.sciencecongress.org/html/pastpres.html | title = List of Past Presidents | accessdate = 2008-02-02 | last = | first = |work = | publisher =Indian Science Congress Association]

He used to deliver lectures on astronomy. He spoke on “Stellar Evolution” at the Allahabad session of the Indian Academy of Sciences in 1946. [cite web | url = http://www.ias.ac.in/php/acadsymp.php3?alpha=A
title = Symposia held since inception of the Academy| accessdate = 2008-02-02 | last = | first = | work = | publisher = Indian Academy of Sciences]

The road in front of his house in Allahabad was named after him.

Marriage, Children and Grandchildren

He had married Probha, daughter of Braja Kumar and Chanchala Niyogi of Hazaribagh in 1920. She was actively involved in social welfare activities, was a commissioner of Allahabad municipality and was a woman magistrate, who held court at home.

His elder son Kalyan Banerjee died prematurely when he was deputy managing director of State Bank of India. His daughter, Arati, was married to N.R.Dutt, a successful business manager in the steel industry. Milon Banerjee, Attorney General of India, is his younger son. His grandson, Pradeep Banerji - son of Kalyan Banerjee - graduated from Columbia University, New York, and is presently based in London as a successful businessman in the IT industry.

References