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The Department of Posts has brought out a commemorative stamp on International Year of Crystallography 2014 (IYCr2014) to acknowledge the contribution of crystallographers in every sphere of life and provide impetus to young scientists to study the subject.
Crystallography is an imaging technique that allows the scientist to “see” atoms, ions and molecules in crystals.
The commemorative stamp depicts a diamond, which is known for hardness and the structure of curcumin, a constituent of turmeric known for its medicinal value, as determined by X-ray crystallography. Till 200 years ago, all the diamonds in the world were mined in India.
The stamp was released by M.S. Ramanujan, Chief Post Master General, Karnataka, at a function in Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore.
The International Union of Crystallography (IUCr) has partnered UNESCO to implement IYCr2014 goals, which aim to disseminate the fundamental role of crystallography for the development of chemistry, mineralogy, physics, biology, medicine, materials science and geosciences.
The opening ceremony for the International Year was held in UNESCO, Paris on January 20 & 21, 2014.
IUCr President Professor Gautam R. Desiraju (IISc) said that the international year is all about outreach of science to society and that the programmes will target school and college students and the general public. They should know about the importance of science.
Professor Desiraju is the first Indian who has served as IUCr President since India joined the organisation in 1951. The IUCr was founded in 1948 and its first President was Lawrence Bragg, who with his father developed a method in 1913 to convert X-ray diffraction patterns into images of atoms and molecules in crystals.
The IUCr in collaboration with UNESCO will be organising an extensive programme of open laboratories in Africa, South America and Asia, where students and young researchers will be able to have hands-on-access to modern equipment such as diffractometers. The open laboratories are being conducted in cooperation with major instrument manufacturers.
Prof. P. Balaram, Director-IISc, who presided over the function said that he was happy that the International Year of Crystallography is being celebrated in India in a befitting manner. He said that India has a long tradition in this subject, and especially the IISc has witnessed notable milestones.
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