Co-authored by Dr R P Kulkarni and Dr. Vijay V Bedekar, the A1 page handbook gives details about use of pottery to develop process involving prolonged heating, fusion, evaporation and treatment of minerals besides layout of laboratories, use of various instrument called' yantras" and atomic theory concepts in Sankhya Daraana of Kapila, Buddhist and Jaina literature.

"The handbook has been compiled by drawing on different sources with a sincere desire that it should kindle or inspire some efforts by young scientists today to learn more about the achievement of civilization of the past". The authors told UNI.

The handbook entitled "Glimpses of Chemistry in Ancient and Medieval India. Has been published by the Institute of Oriental Study, Thane and is on display at an Exhibition put up at the Homi Bhabha Science Education Centre of the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) at Deonar in north-east Mumbai as part of the Chemistry Olympiad.

Dr. Bedekar explained that understanding achievements of past civilizations and giving them their due credit was significant not only for writing the history of science in India but also required as c\documentation to invoke protection of patent laws, 'India could successfully convince the international Authorities about wound producing documentary Evidence regarding uses if these products since ancient times to get patents secured overseas revoked", he pointed out.

The handbook should help Indian scientists get rid of their euro centric mindset of science evolution by giving them an insight about practices and achievements of ancient and medieval Indian chemists and metallurgists , he added.