Sir Ram Nath Chopra, acclaimed today as the Father of Pharmacology in India, was born on August 17, 1882. He obtained the degree of M.D. (Medicine) for his original work on experimental pharmacology at the Cambridge University in 1908, after which he returned to India to take up a medical career.

Chopra was appointed the first Professor of Pharmacology in the newly established Calcutta School of Tropical Medicine in 1921, while simultaneously heading the Department of Pharmacology at the Calcutta Medical College. This dual role as Professor of Pharmacology in a Postgraduate Research Institute (viz. the Calcutta School of Tropical Medicine) and in an Undergraduate Teaching Centre (viz. Calcutta Medical College), afforded him an excellent opportunity for placing Pharmacology on the 'medical map' of India. In doing so, Chopra not only inspired a number of promising Indian scientists to take up Pharmacology as a career but also encouraged them to undertake scientific studies on Indian herbal remedies.

The very first introduction and systematic study of the now well-known herb ­ Rauwolfia serpentina (i.e. Sarpagandha of Ayurveda) was possible due to Chopra's original researches at the School of Tropical Medicine,  Calcutta.

Among Chopra's many publications, Indigenous Drugs of India, Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants, Poisonous Plants of India and Drug Addiction in India, are considered as  monumental  contributions to Indian Pharmacology and are being used even today as reference works. Due to Chopra's untiring efforts, the  first Indian Pharmacopea, compiled in 1955, incorporated some indigenous drugs studied at the School of Tropical Medicine.

In the post-independence era, Chopra was instrumental in establishing the first National Drug Research Institute of India, at Lucknow (the present Central Drug Research Institute), in collaboration with his worthy student and later colleague Dr. B. Mukherjee.

Several honours and awards were conferred on Ram Nath Chopra, in recognition of his outstanding contributions to Indian Pharmacology and study of indigenous drugs. He was created a Knight in 1941 by the British Government. He was the Member-President of a number of important National Committees on Drugs. Chopra was also the recipient of the coveted Minto Gold Medal and the Squibb Award. He was appointed Director of the Drug Research Laboratory at Srinagar between 1941 and 1957 and Honorary Scientific Advisor to the Regional Re­search Laboratory, Jammu (from 1958 onwards).

Chopra's name is thus synonymous with not only Pharmacology but pioneering researches on herbal drugs in India. His glory was that of a pioneer and a crusader blazing the trail in a so far un­ trodden field, full of potentialities. Chopra was equally well-known for his humility, courtesy and kindness.

Ram Nath Chopra passed away m Kashmir on June 13, 1973.

Indian Posts and Telegraphs Department is happy to issue a Commemorative Stamp in his honour.

Source : Information Folder issued by Indian Posts & Telegraph Department, Government of India