Gujranwala, Punjab Province, British India (now Gujranwala, Pakistan)
Died
13 June 1973(1973-06-13) (aged 90)
Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India
Known for
Father of Indian Pharmacology; Doyen of science and medicine[1]
Awards
Knighthood (1941) Companion of the Order of the Indian Empire (CIE; 1934)
Scientific career
Fields
pharmacology
Sir Ram Nath Chopra CIE, IMS (17 August 1882 – 13 June 1973) was an Indian Medical Service officer and a doyen of science and medicine of India. He is considered the "Father of Indian Pharmacology" for his work on pharmaceuticals and his quest for self-sufficiency of India in drugs through the experimental evaluation of indigenous and traditional drugs. After service in the army, he established a research laboratory where he worked as a professor of a pharmacology at the Calcutta School of Tropical Medicine which was established in 1921.
Chopra was born in Gujranwala. His father Raghu Nath was a government official. After school in Lahore he went to the Government College there and then went to England in 1903 and studied at the Downing College, Cambridge. In 1905 he qualified in the Natural Sciences Tripos and was admitted BA. He received a B.Chir. in 1908 and an MA in 1909. He worked under Walter E. Dixon professor of the newly established position in pharmacology. He was inspired by the experimental approaches in pharmacology.[2] While at St. Bartholomew's Hospital in London, Chopra wrote the examination for the Indian Medical Service and stood third in it. Chopra was commissioned a lieutenant in the Indian Medical Service on 1 August 1908 and promoted to captain on 1 August 1911. He saw active service in East Africa and in the Afghan War of 1919.[3][4] He was promoted to the temporary rank of major on 7 May 1919 and confirmed in the substantive rank on 1 August 1920, (back-dated to 1 February 1920).[5][6] In 1922 he was appointed Professor of Pharmacology at the Calcutta School of Tropical Medicine which had been established the year before. He took a special interest in indigenous drugs and noted that a key aim for India should be self-sufficiency in drug resources. He conducted pioneering studies on herbal remedies including Rauvolfia serpentina. He headed a Drugs Enquiry Committee of 1930–31 which examined the need for imports, control and legislation.[7]
Chopra took an interest in public health.[8] He was invested as a Companion of the Order of the Indian Empire (CIE) in the 1934 New Year Honours list and knighted in the 1941 New Year Honours list.[9][10][11][12] Government of India issued a postal stamp on his 101st birth anniversary with a denomination of Fifty paise[13]
^"Sir Colonel Ram Nath Chopra". Roja Rani. Archived from the original on 7 January 2014. Retrieved 7 January 2014.
^Chopra, R.N. (1965). "Problems and Prospects of a Pharmacological Career in India". Annual Review of Pharmacology. 5: 1–8. doi:10.1146/annurev.pa.05.040165.000245.
^"No. 28230". The London Gazette. 5 March 1909. p. 1761.
^"No. 28547". The London Gazette. 3 November 1911. p. 7960.
^"No. 32098". The London Gazette. 26 October 1920. p. 10308.
^"No. 32757". The London Gazette. 20 October 1922. p. 7378.
^Singh, Harkishan (2008). "Ram Nath Chopra (1882–1973) – A visionary in Pharmaceutical science" (PDF). Indian Journal of History of Science. 43 (2): 231–264.
^Chopra, R.N. (1941). "Organization of public health and medical service in India" (PDF). Current Science. 10 (2): 109–116.
^"No. 34010". The London Gazette (Supplement). 29 December 1933. p. 6.
^"No. 35029". The London Gazette (Supplement). 31 December 1940. p. 2.
^"RAMNATH CHOPRA". Indian Post office. Retrieved 24 May 2013.
^"Sir Colonel Ram Nath Chopra". pharmainfo.net. Retrieved 24 May 2013.
^Syed Ziaur Rahman (2002). "Colonel R. N. Chopra (Postal Stamp)". Indian Journal of Pharmacology. 34: 255.
Sir RamNathChopra CIE, IMS (17 August 1882 – 13 June 1973) was an Indian Medical Service officer and a doyen of science and medicine of India. He is...
Kapoor (wife of Raj Kapoor), Prem Nath and Rajendranath. The couple have three daughters, Rakita, Punita and Prerna Chopra. Rakita is married to film publicity...
Subedar Neeraj Chopra PVSM VSM (born 24 December 1997) is an Indian track and field athlete, who is the reigning Olympic champion and World champion in...
Narendra Nath (1935–1998) was an Indian actor. His full name is Narendra Nath Malhotra. He was first cousin of actor Prithviraj Kapoor. Prithviraj's mother...
Nath (actor) Bina Rai (actress – wife of Prem Nath) Prem Krishen (actor – son of Prem Nath and Bina Rai) Rajendra Nath (actor – brother of Prem Nath)...
Field's Medal in 1958. Daya Ram Sahni, first director-general of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) RamNathChopra, Father of Indian Pharmacology...
the original on 12 January 2015. Retrieved 7 December 2014. RamNathChopra; I. C. Chopra (1 January 1955). "UNODC – Bulletin on Narcotics – 1955 Issue...
Kasturi Lal Chopra, an Indian materials physicist and a former director of the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur RamNathChopra, an Indian Medical...
sons of Kailash Nath. His sister Krishna married Raj Kapoor while his other sister Uma was married to veteran Hindi Film actor Prem Chopra. His brothers...
1930–31, he was a member of the Drugs Enquiry Committee headed by RamNathChopra which examined the need for imports, control and regulation for pharmaceuticals...
Sachindra Nath Sanyal pronunciation (3 April 1890 — 7 February 1942) was an Revolutionary movement for Indian independence Indian revolutionary and co-founder...
Shiva Nath Katju (5 January 1910 – 9 September 1996) was an Indian lawyer, judge and an Indian National Congress politician. He was a member of the Uttar...
Priyanka Chopra Jonas (pronounced [pɾɪˈjəŋka ˈtʃoːpɽa]; née Chopra; born 18 July 1982) is an Indian actress and producer. The winner of the Miss World...
Cultural, and Economic History of India, Vol. 1, with Pran NathChopra and Manmath Nath Das. Macmillan India, 1974. History of Indian Administration:...
Jawaharlal Nehru Science in the service of the nation 35th 1948 Patna RamNathChopra Rationalisation of medicine in India 36th 1949 Allahabad K. S. Krishnan...
genus Kashyapia (family Calymperaceae) was named in his honour by Ram Saran Chopra but this is considered an illegitimate name and a possible synonym...
President From To Lewis Leigh Fermor 1935 1936 Meghnad Saha 1937 1938 RamNathChopra 1939 1940 Baini Prashad 1941 1942 Jnan Chandra Ghosh 1943 1944 Darashaw...
Alok Nath (born 10 July 1956) is an Indian actor known for his work in Hindi cinema and television. He made his film debut with the 1982 English (and Hindi)...
Kapoor as Pritam Babita as Deepali Lakhanpal Rajendra Nath as Ram Bharose Agnihotri Prem Chopra as Ajit Choudhary Kamini Kaushal as Rama Helen as Sherry...
the original on 28 June 2012. Retrieved 22 October 2011. Chopra 2007, pp. 79–84. Kohli, Ram (9 May 2013). "Main bhi Shah Rukh Khan!". Daily News and Analysis...
Nagvanshi king in 17th century Ram Shah, Nagvanshi king in 17th century Ani Nath Shahdeo, king of Barkagarh Lal Chintamani Sharan Nath Shahdeo, last Nagvanshi...
Rajendra Nath Malhotra (8 June 1931 − 13 February 2008) was an Indian actor and comedian in Hindi and Punjabi films. Rajendra Nath was born on 8 June...