On July 25, 1948, Karaikudi, a hitherto bleak and desolate village in Tamil Nadu, wore a festive look. A mammoth crowd of more than a lakh people gathered to witness the ushering in of a new era in Indian science. It was the day the CSIR-Central Electrochemical Research Institute (CSIR-CECRI) was founded at Karaikudi. The institute took roots in the patriotic fervour of RM. Alagappa Chettiar, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and Dr. Shanthi Swarup Bhatnagar. Fast forward five years, on January 14, 1953,