Jayanta Sthanapati

The Origins and Early Years of the IACS with Mahendra Lal Sircar 
Dr Mahendra Lal Sircar founded the Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science in 1876 in Calcutta (now Kolkata), making it the first scientific research institution for Indians and by Indians. Mahendra Lal was born on 2 November 1833, in Paikpara, a locality in Howrah district near Calcutta. He lost his father at age five and his mother at nine and was raised by his maternal uncles. He completed his schooling at Hare School and then attended Hindu College, both in Calcutta. Dissatisfied with the science courses offered there, he joined Calcutta Medical College in 1855. He earned an LMS (Licentiate in Medicine and Surgery) from Calcutta Medical College in 1860 and, three years later, an MD (Doctor of Medicine) from the University of Calcutta. 

Dr Sircar began publishing The Calcutta Journal of Medicine, a monthly periodical, in January 1868. In its August 1869 issue, he wrote an article titled “On the Desirability of a National Institution for the Cultivation of the Physical Sciences by the Natives of India.” Five months later, on 3 January 1870, Sircar set out his plan for an Indian association for the cultivation of science in the Hindoo Patriot, an English-language weekly newspaper. By 1875, he had collected over 80,000 rupees in donations from several individuals. Notable patrons included Rajendra Lal Mitra, Kali Krishna Tagore, and Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar. A single-story building at 210, Bowbazar Street in Calcutta was acquired from the government, and the Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science, established there, was formally inaugurated by Sir Richard Temple, the Lieutenant Governor of Bengal, on 29 July 1876…read more on NOPR