In 1945, as World War II came to an end, Britain was forced to accept decolonization, to wind down its empire, and India began preparing for independence. The country was at the time the fourth largest industrial economy in the world. In preparation for modernization after independence, the (British) Government of India initiated a new scheme for jump-starting scientific and technological development. Every year a number of gifted Indian students would be selected for training abroad in scientific and technological areas. They would be provided with full scholarships to study abroad for a higher degree or certificate. Under the terms of these scholarships, after the completion of their studies, they would be expected to return to India where the government promised that an appropriate job would be waiting for them.

A Surprise in London

Khorana was in the first cohort of students selected in 1945. Given his background in xanthone chemistry, he was specifically selected by the Ministry of Agriculture for further training in Britain on the chemistry of insecticides and fungicides. The hope was that, on returning to India, this training would benefit agricultural development through better pest control. He was assigned to an institute in Berkshire. The Indian High Commission in London was given the responsibility of securing his admission. Khorana set sail for Britain, expecting a future career in agricultural chemistry.

However, late in 1945, when Khorana arrived in London, he was shocked to find out that the expected position in Berkshire had not materialized. British institutions were overcrowded after the end of World War II from the return of ex-servicemen wanting to continue with their training. There were no slots left for others, especially candidates from the colonies, in most places. As a result, the Indian High Commission had failed to secure the expected position in Berkshire.

Instead, without consulting Khorana (who was in transit on a ship), because of his M.Sc. in organic chemistry, the High Commission had secured for him a regular Ph.D. studentship, that is, one dedicated to basic research, in Organic Chemistry at the University of Liverpool. Faced with no other choice, Khorana accepted the assignment and moved to Liverpool. He would later come to regard it as an extraordinarily lucky development and interpret it as yet another occasion when serendipity had favored him.