Scholarly reception of his work has been mixed, with some criticizing his apologias for the metaphysical claims of Hinduism, and others commending his contributions to the conversation on these issues.

He did his doctoral studies in theoretical physics at the Sorbonne in Paris, in French under Nobel laureate Louis de Broglie.

[7][8][9][10] In 1991, Raman served on a panel to "investigate possible CIA influences on academic programs",[11] and determine whether RIT should cut ties with the American Central Intelligence Agency.

[29][30] Following the September 11 attacks in 2001, Raman chaired an interfaith community effort to foster "peace, harmony and understanding among countries, races, and religions";[31] he had once expressed that "not on one occasion of interacting with Americans was I made to feel as a foreigner.

"[5] Robert M. Geraci, chair of religious studies at Manhattan University, describes Raman as "well-known in American conversations about religion and science",[32] and "the leading voice in this problematic approach to Hinduism and science—who should nevertheless be commended for his work in bringing such conversations to the fore of academic inquiry", and states that Raman "represents the community seeking harmony between Hinduism and science.

Raman describes... how Hinduism's overarching regard for beauty and the arts has helped to avoid a point-counterpoint between the different forms of knowledge that science and religion convey.

"[47] In Ira Flatow's book, Present at the Future, Raman describes considering himself to be "as much a physicist as one devoted to the other dimension of human life, mainly the spiritual".

[48] Raman has two children, a son and a daughter, Indira,[49] a neurobiologist[50] and director of the Northwestern University Interdepartmental Neurosciences (NUIN) PhD Program.