Patna: The Asiatic Society, Bihar (ASB), will bestow Itihas Ratna award on Jadavpur University vice-chancellor (VC) Suranjan Das at the 78th session of the Indian History Congress (IHC) in Calcutta on December 28.

A book, Techno Scientific Probings of Social Dynamics, edited by historian O.P. Jaiswal, will also be released on the occasion.

Das was selected for the award for his extensive research on social problems of Bengal and his merit as a historian. He is a renowned professor of modern and contemporary India. Jaiswal, also ASB secretary, said: "Das completed his thesis from Oxford University, and is well known for his work on communal riots in Bengal between 1905 and 1947. He was previously the VC of Calcutta University."

The book, to released at the IHC session, is dedicated to the memory of Debiprasad Chattopadhyaya (1918-1993), a philosopher, researcher and science author who explored the materialistic current in ancient Indian philosophy.

Chattopadhyaya, who was also a fellow of the Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR), is better known for his works Lokayat: A study in ancient Indian materialist and History of Science and Technology in Ancient India, which explored ancient Indian doctors Charaka and Sushruta among others and also earned a D.Litt from Calcutta University.

Techno Scientific Probings of Social Dynamics focuses on social relevance of technology and science.

It contains research papers by famous social scientists and historians from India, like Irfan Habib, Romila Thapar, Bipan Chandra, R.S. Sharma, Sabyasachi Bhattacharya, Douglas Allen, Tamotsu Sato and G.M. Bongard Levin, and abroad.

"The book explores how science and technology in India was progressing well but stagnated after artisans started being looked down upon and were classed as shudras. The research papers also explore the tussle between technology and superstition up to the Mughal era," Jaiswal said.

Irfan Habib, professor emeritus at Aligarh University, will release the book at the IHC, which is being held at Jadavpur University campus.

ASB was established in 1999 by a group of historians under R.S. Sharma to conduct basic research in a secular way to unravel the dynamics of social change with historical perspective. It conducted explorations on the northern boundary limits of Patna to find remains of ancient Patliputra. It later explored north Bihar districts like Madhepura, Saharsa, Khagaria, Begusarai and Samastipur districts to assess archaeological remains. It has bestowed Itihas Ratna on R.S. Sharma, Irfan Habib, J.S. Grewal, Bipan Chandra and Piyushendu Gupta.