Rumour has it, that a prominent Indian personality from the world of science is set to be the new face of the currency of UK.
The Bank of England is set to release a new 50 pound note. There is a list of contenders who are competing to feature on the note.
The list has a total of 1,40,000 nominations. Our very own British-Indian scientist, Jagdish Chandra Bose also features on the list.
Who was Jagdish Chandra Bose?
Bose was an Indian mathematician, biologist, physicist, botanist, archaeologist among other things. His diverse interests along with his brilliant intellect, earned him many honours and awards in his time.
He revolutionized the study of plants and contributed greatly to the field of wireless communication, which led to the development of the modern day radio and of course, the Wi-Fi.
The prodigy studied in the best of institutions in India and the UK and was a polymath, much like Da Vinci.
After obtaining his BSc degree in the natural sciences from University of Cambridge, Bose came back to India and taught physical sciences at Presidency College, Kolkata. He left teaching and set up the Bose Institute at Kolkata, which was initially only for the specialized study of botany.
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The procedure for selection
Bose has been nominated alongside other brilliant minds like Stephen Hawking, Alexander Graham Bell, UK’s erstwhile Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher to name a few.
The Bank had made a revelation a few months back that the people in the nomination list could be from any field of science, from biology to mathematics to bio-technology. (A little restrictive I’d say).
Some of the favourites in the running include Hawking, Penicillin discoverer Alexander Flemming and a pioneer in the field of electromagnetic, Michael Faraday.
The initial number of nominations which the bank received was 1,74,112.
The final list of shortlisted names is set to release after 14th of December which would be further analysed by the Bank of England’s Banknote Character Advisory Committee.
A matter of honour?
While there is no doubt in the fact that it is indeed a matter of pride that a renowned Indian scholar is in the running for dawning the face of a foreign currency note, the question here is that will it set an alternative example for India?
The idea that India has produced a lot of scholars and talented personalities in all fields and walks of life who are worthy of receiving such an honour, gets one thinking.
While it seems like a possibility in a country like UK, it seems rather far-fetched in the home country.
Sources: News18, Wikipedia, India Times
Image Source: Google Images
Find the blogger at @janhaviiisharma
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