Guwahati, June 14: A stirring new book, Portrait of a Genius, has reignited interest in one of Assam’s most exceptional yet under-celebrated minds — Dr. Hiranya Chandra Bhuyan (1905–1973), a towering physicist, educator, and administrator whose intellectual legacy shaped modern Assam’s academic and scientific landscape.
Released with the mission to resurrect and preserve Dr. Bhuyan’s legacy, the volume features an array of compelling essays and personal recollections by some of Assam’s most distinguished scholars and admirers. Painstakingly curated by Jayanta Bhuyan, the book not only narrates the scientist’s brilliant academic journey but also shines a light on the wide-ranging roles he played in public life.
Dr. Bhuyan was the first physicist from Assam to earn a PhD from a top-tier Western university, studying under the legendary Nobel Laureate Sir Nevill Francis Mott. But it wasn’t just academic laurels that defined him—his service spanned from being Principal of Cotton College, Vice Chancellor of Gauhati University, to serving as Director of Public Instruction and Education Secretary of Undivided Assam. He also chaired the Assam Public Service Commission and led various cultural and scientific institutions, including the Assam Science Society and the Assam Tennis Association.
His early academic brilliance was evident when he topped the Matriculation and Intermediate Science examinations of undivided Assam in the 1920s, later graduating with First Class Second positions in BSc and MSc Physics from Calcutta University.
The book’s contributors offer glowing tributes. Noted physicist Dr. Kamalendu Deb Krori writes, “He was the only great genius I met in my life… a great scholar, a great scientist and a great teacher – all rolled into one.” Former Gauhati University Vice Chancellor Dr. Kishori Mohan Pathak asserts, “Till the Assamese people exist, Dr. Bhuyan will remain immortal in the world of education, especially science education.” Astrophysicist Dr. Dhruba J. Saikia laments a lost opportunity: “The State and Science lost out on a world-class school of physicists that could have formed around him.” Writer Arup Kumar Dutta celebrates Bhuyan’s triumph over adversity, calling him “the greatest scientific mind of his time in Assam.”
Portrait of a Genius is more than a biography—it’s a call to inspire young minds to aim for excellence, rooted in values and resilience. The book is being distributed to leading libraries, educational institutions, and meritorious students. It is also available on Amazon at a subsidized price, with an e-book version soon to follow.
The presenters have called upon educators, students, and thought leaders to help amplify the book’s message. In a state often yearning for intellectual heroes, this resurrected legacy offers not just pride, but a powerful blueprint for greatness.
