R. P. Paranjpe

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Sir^[1] Raghunath Purushottam Paranjpye (Paranjpe) (16 February 1876 – 6 May 1966) was the first Indian to achieve the coveted title of Senior Wrangler at St John's College, University of Cambridge, in 1899.

After a three-year fellowship at St John's College during 1899-1902, "R. P." became a professor of mathematics at Fergusson College, Pune in Maharashtra, India. Later, he became the college's principal, and stayed in that position for the next twenty years^[2]. Subsequently, he consecutively became the Vice-Chancellor of Bombay University and Lucknow University^[3].

In the three years (1944-1947) preceding India's independence from the British Raj, the British government had appointed R. P. India's High Commissioner to Australia^[4].

In 1907, R. P. had become the first librarian of the Indian Mathematical Society at Fergusson College^[5]. He was the founder of the Indian Rationalist Association in Chennai (then Madras) in 1949^[6]^[7], and remained its President for many years ^[8].

One of the earliest Indian documentary film makers, H. S. Bhatavdekar, had made silent documentary films, Return of Wrangler Paranjpye (1902) and Delhi Durbar of Lord Curzon (1903), featuring R. P.^[9]^[10] ^[11]^[12].

In the days of the British Raj, there was some criticism that R. P. had often appeared on the side of British authorities at a time of nationalist ferment in India.

1 Family
2 Bibliography
3 References
4 External Links

[edit] Family

In 1991, the Government of India awarded R. P.'s daughter Shakuntala Paranjpye a Padma Bhushan title in recognition of her work in the field of family planning. She was also a nominated member of the Rajya Sabha in the 1960s^[13].

In 2006, the Government of India awarded R. P.'s granddaughter Sai Paranjpye a Padma Bhushan title in recognition of her artistic talents. She is a film director and a scriptwriter.

[edit] Bibliography

Dhondu Keshav Karve: A Sketch, Poona, Arya Bhushan Press, 1915.
Gopal Krishna Gokhale, The Aryabhushan Press, 1918.
The Crux of the Indian Problem. Watts, 1931.
The National Liberal Federation, Presidential address. Allahabad, 1939. Vithal Hari Barve, 1939.
84 Not Out( Autobiography), National Book Trust, New Delhi, 1961.
Rationalism In Practice: The Kamala Lectures, Kessinger Publishing, LLC, 2006. ISBN 1428644466.