Born on November 30, 1958, Sir Jagadish Chandra Bose was a rare genius and one of the greatest scientists that India ever produced. Fondly referred to as a poet among biologists, Bose made Indians feel proud by his achievements including his universally accepted theory that even plants have life.

   Young Bose was inquisitive to know about everything that happened around him. What is a glow-warm? Is it fire or spark? Why does the wind blow? Why does the water flow? He was always ready with a string of questions.

   Bose did his schooling at St. Xavier’s School. He graduated from the college of the same name. Bose’s mother sold her jewels to raise the money required to send him to England for further studies. Eventually, he joined Christ’s College, Cambridge and later took his degree from both Cambridge and London, in physics, chemistry and botany.

    In the early phase of his career,....