A Hall of Honour: Nobel Laureates in Physics at AMU
- bpsinghamu
- Jul 1
- 4 min read
I am sharing something really special…
Dear Explorers, Today, I want to take you on a journey, not into the atom, but into a part of our academic history that I hold very close to my heart. For the first time on Atomic Explorers, I’m sharing something quietly extraordinary from the corridors of Aligarh Muslim University (AMU). We have spent a significant time here with a deep sense of pride.
Inside the lounge of the Department of Physics, and inside the Heritage Science Museum, we have created a Hall of Honour. It is a framed tribute that celebrates the legacy of four Nobel Laureates in Physics. Each of Nobel Laureates was conferred the prestigious D.Sc. (Honoris Causa) by AMU. But more than recognition, these visits were moments when scientific history came alive on our campus. Here, young minds stood face to face with the legends who shaped modern physics. This isn’t just a display of portraits. It’s a living legacy. It is like a daily reminder that greatness once walked these very corridors. It whispers to every student who enters: “If they could do it, why not you?”
Sir C. V. Raman : D.Sc. (Honoris Causa) – 20 September 1931
Sir Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1930 for discovering the Raman Effect. This is a phenomenon that explained the scattering of light and became the basis of Raman spectroscopy. His discovery revolutionized experimental physics. It remains important across scientific fields even today. When AMU honoured him in 1931, it marked not just a scientific milestone but a powerful message: that India could produce world-class science on its own soil. His visit came at a time when Indian science was still asserting its identity, and it lit a spark at AMU that still burns bright.
Professor Arthur Holly Compton received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1927 for the Compton Effect, which showed that X-rays scatter off electrons like particles. This confirmed that light has both wave and particle nature, confirming dual nature of light. His discovery was crucial in confirming the quantum theory. When Compton visited AMU in 1950, he brought with him not just prestige but also the spirit of post-war scientific renewal. This was the time when the experimental nuclear physics teaching and research activities were initiated in a big way. This was the time when Prof. Piara Singh Gill, then Head of the Physics Department and a former student of Arthur Compton, conceived the idea of building an indigenous neutron generator at AMU. Presence of Arthur Compton connected AMU to the broader world of physics. At the same time, validated its growing status as a leading center for teaching, learning and research.
Professor Abdus Salam shared the 1979 Nobel Prize in Physics for his role in formulating the electroweak unification theory. This brought together electromagnetic and weak nuclear interactions into one framework, as an essential component of the Standard Model. He was also the founder of the International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP), aimed at supporting scientists from the developing world. His 1981 visit to AMU remains iconic. It was not just for his scientific stature, but because he embodied hope and representation for countless students from underrepresented regions.
Professor Takaaki Kajita won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2015 for discovering neutrino oscillations. This proved that neutrinos, once thought to be massless, actually possess mass, thereby challenging and expanding the Standard Model. His work, conducted through the Super-Kamiokande experiment in Japan, opened up new frontiers in neutrino physics and particle astrophysics. When he visited AMU in 2016, it wasn’t just about a prize, it was about bringing the edge of experimental physics right into our classrooms. Students and researchers were offered a rare window into the excitement of large-scale physics experiments.
Why I am Sharing This With You Now?
Today, I am sharing it with you because it is more than a framed portrait. It is a story and a legacy and a mirror of reflections. Every one of these scientists once visited AMU, spoke to students just like us, and left behind something powerful. Not just ideas, but inspiration. Their visits weren’t ceremonial; they were transformative. They perhaps told to every student: “You belong here. You too can dream, discover, and dare to do something remarkable.”
And that is the real essence of this Hall of Honour.
A legacy that says to every young person walking into the Department of Physics at AMU, or following this blog across the world:
“If these Nobel minds could stand here, then so can you. You too can rise, if you ask the right questions, if you stay curious, and if you never stop exploring.”
So the next time you visit AMU, do stop by the lounge of the Physics Department. Also take a visit to the Heritage Science Museum of the Department. Take a moment to look into the eyes of those portraits. Get Accelerated, Feel the energy, the History, the Hope.
With admiration and scientific spirit,
Prof. B. P. Singh (Experimental Nuclear Physicist)
BPS – The Atomic Explorer
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