Birth Centenary of Homi Jahangir Bhabha - 30 October 2009

Born 30 October 1909, Bombay, India

Died 24 January 1966(aged 56), Mont Blanc, France

 Homi Jehangir Bhabha (1909-1966)

Nuclear Physicist who played a major role in development of the Indian atomic energy program and is considered to be the father of India’s nuclear program .Bhabha was born into a prominent family, through which he was related to Dinshaw Maneckj Petit, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, Homi K Bhabha and Dorab Tata. After receiving his early education at Bombay schools and at the Royal Institute of Science, he attended Caius College of Cambridge University to pursue studies in mechanical engineering. He worked at the Cavendish Laboratory while working towards his doctorate in theoretical physics. During this time, he embarked on ground breaking research into the absorption of cosmic rays and electron shower production. Afterwards, he published a string of widely accepted papers on his theories regarding cosmic ray showers.

He accepted a position at the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore, headed by Nobel laureate C. V. Raman. He established the Cosmic Ray Research Unit at the institute, and began to work on the theory of the movement of point particles. In 1945, he established the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research in Bombay, and the Atomic Energy Commission of India. He was the Chairman of theAtomic Energy Commission of India. In the 1950s, Bhabha represented India in International Atomic Energy Forums, and served as President of the United Nations Conference on the Peaceful Uses of Atomic Energy in Geneva, Switzerland in 1955. 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 Vikram Sarabhai.
 In January 1966, Bhabha died in a plane crash involving an Air India Boeing 707 near Mont Blanc, while heading to Vienna, Austria to attend a meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency’s Scientific Advisory Committee. His death still remains a mystery


After his death, the Atomic Energy Establishment was renamed as the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre in his honour. Bhabha also encouraged research in electronics, space science, radio astronomy and microbiology. In addition to being a famous scientist, Bhabha was also a painter and a classical music and opera enthusiast, besides being an amateur botanist.The famed radio telescope at Ooty, India was his initiative, and it became a reality in 1970. Bhabha has since become known as the "Father of India's Atomic Energy Programme" The Homi Bhabha Fellowship Council has been giving the Homi Bhabha Fellowships since 1967 .Other noted institutions in his name are theHomi Bhabha National Institute, an Indian deemed university and the Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education, Munbai, India.