Dr. Homi Jehangir Bhabha

Dr. Homi Jehangir Bhabha was one of the greatest scientists that India has ever produced. He was a very good artist and musician, also. He is considered as the Father of Indian Nuclear Science. He is also known as the Father of Indian Electronics industry. He established Bhabha Atomic Research Centre. ‘Coming events cast their shadow before’ is a common saying. The early life of this great personality fully illustrates this proverb. He was born on 3rd October 1909 in an affluent Parsi family. He had been brilliant and meticulous person since his childhood. His father Mr. J H Bhabha was a renowned barrister at the Bombay High Court. Bhabhajee received his early education in Cathedral School. He then studied in Allonsion College and the Royal Institute of Sciences in Bombay. After that, he went to England for higher studies. He was only 17 then. He pursued his M Sc degree from the Cambridge University in 1931. He was a topper student there. He received many scholarships. His research was in higher Mathematics and Physics. He productively obtained his Ph D degree in 1934 at the Cambridge University. His research was related to the cosmic rays. He enunciated the Cascade Theory of Showers which was an amalgamation of two other theories i.e. the Pair Production Theory and Radiative Collision Theory. This theory was very noteworthy in the scientific world. A nuclear physicist, he theoretically explained the ways of finding the probability of the electron-positron scattering in atoms. He was chosen a fellow of the Royal Society of London in 1931.

He returned to India in 1941 and was signed up as a Reader at the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore. He pioneered research work on nuclear Physics in India. He conducted many successful experiments at the Raman Institute. His uncle was Sir Dorabji Tata. With the help of his uncle, he founded the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research. He became its chairman.

When India got her independence in 1947, he who played a prominent role in developing the country’s nuclear energy programme became the first chairman of the Indian Atomic Energy Commission. He was also the president of the first United Nations Conference on ‘Peaceful Uses of Atomic Energy’. On 12th January 1957, the Atomic Research Centre was established at Trombay near Bombay. With the help of Canadian government three nuclear reactors were set up at that centre. He was also the chairman of Indian Science Congress in 1957. He was the first director of TIFR.

He has remarkable achievements to his credit. He received a number of awards in India as well as abroad. He got Adams awards (1937), Hopkins’s award (1948) and the Padma Bhushan (1954). He departed this life on 1966. It was a great loss not only in scientific world but also for India. His life was a real embodiment of the Indian principal of simple living and high thinking.