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9 August 2026

Jagadish Chandra Bose and Plant Biology

The topic provides historical context on Indian scientific achievements and the contributions of a significant personality, which can be used as illustrative examples in answers regarding the history of science or the freedom struggle.

1 min read 2 questions 1 prelims

Notes

  • Jagadish Chandra Bose (JCB) was a Bengali physicist-turned-physiologist who conducted pioneering research on plant responses to stimuli.
  • Bose published 'Abyakta' (The Unmanifest) in 1922, which explored the emotive life of plants and aimed to bridge the gap between living and non-living matter.
  • His scientific hypothesis posited that plants exhibit responses to external stimuli, such as injury or chemical exposure, similar to animal responses.
  • Bose invented the 'crescograph', a device using needles, clockwork, and smoked glass to measure plant growth and response.
  • Bose advocated for the free sharing of scientific ideas, famously declining to patent his early radio-wave detector (coherer).
  • Modern plant science has evolved from Bose's 'sentimental' vocabulary to a 'grammar of signalling', where plant responses are understood as electrical pulses and chemical defence circuits.
  • Bose's methodology emphasized 'frugal innovation' or science done with minimal infrastructure, influencing later Indian scientists like C.V. Raman, Meghnad Saha, and Vikram Sarabhai.

Questions

  1. Discuss the contributions of Jagadish Chandra Bose to the field of plant physiology and the evolution of the scientific understanding of plant signalling. 150 words
    Attempt this — 150 words in 8 min
    0 / 150 words 8:00
  2. The history of Indian science is marked by a tradition of 'frugal innovation' and indigenous methodology. Examine how the scientific approach of early 20th-century Indian scientists shaped the development of research institutions in post-independence India. 250 words
    Attempt this — 250 words in 11 min
    0 / 250 words 11:00

Prelims

  1. The 'crescograph', an instrument developed by Jagadish Chandra Bose, was primarily used for which of the following purposes?

Syllabus

Topics

Sources

250words.in · https://250words.in/daily/2026-08-09/jagadish-chandra-bose-and-plant-biology