A Nuclear Scientist, who is considered to be the father of India’s Nuclear Program, Homi Jehangir Bhabha, was born on 30th October 1909 into a prominent Parsi family.
Growing up in Bombay, he later studied mechanical engineering at Royal Institute of Science and other prestigious colleges in foreign countries and also studied under World renowned International Nuclear Scientists. He published many papers on particle physics, especially on the phenomenon of cosmic ray showers.
Dr. Bhabha chose to remain in India after WWII broke out, accepting a position at the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore, headed by the Nobel Laureate, Dr. C.V. Raman. In 1945, he established the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research in Bombay, a premier institute of Nuclear Physics today.
Established Atomic Energy Commission, Dr. Bhabha represented India in International Atomic Energy Forums and served as President of the UN Conference on the Peaceful Uses of Atomic Energy in Geneva, Switzerland in 1955.
Awarded Padma Bhushan by Government of India in 1954.
He later served as the member of the Indian cabinet’s Scientific Advisory Committee and set up the Indian national committee for space research with Dr Vikram Sarabhai.
Bhabha died in a plane crash on January 24, 1966 near Mont Blanc, while heading to Vienna, Austria to attend a meeting of the International Atomic Agency’s Scientific Advisory Committee.
