I love to teach chemistry to young people: Prof CNR Rao

Scientific advisor to the prime minister, Prof CNR Rao, waxed eloquent about his love for chemistry at the launch of the book, Understanding Chemistry, on Monday at Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR), which had been authored by him and translated by his wife Indumati Rao into Kannada.

“I have enjoyed teaching chemistry to young people even though I have not done so for quite a while. Most people don’t like chemistry however,” he said.

He also spoke about the need to popularise science to the common man. “At the Vision Group, there have been plenty of programmes where we are working directly with teachers and students in order to make science more popular,” he added.

As for his own future, Rao emphasised that he would be working more with young students.

“I am not stepping away from research but Indumati and I will be spending more time on science education and more time with children in general,” he said.

Indumati Rao echoed his sentiments and said that one more book for children might be in the horizon.

“Last year, which was the year of Chemistry, Prof Rao went all over the country delivering lectures to students. We will be transcribing it. This is one more step to portray scientists as people,” she said.