Homi Bhaha

Dr. Bhabha belonged to a prominent Parsi family that had a long tradition of learning and education. He was born on 30 October, 1909, in Bombay (now Mumbai) to Jehangir H. Bhabha, a reputed lawyer, and Meherbai Framji Panday. He developed a keen interest in science at an early age. He was considered a brilliant student in school. He wanted to pursue mathematics and physics for higher studies, but his father wanted him to become an engineer. He respected his father’s wishes and went on to pursue an engineering degree in mechanical engineering at Cambridge, England. He later pursued mathematics, as his interest was in physics.

Dr. Bhabha started his research in theoretical physics at Cambridge.

• In 1935, Dr. Bhabha published a paper in which he calculated the cross-section of electron-positron scattering. This was later named after him as Bhabha Scattering.
• In 1937, in collaboration with Heitler, he presented ‘Cascade Theory of Electron Showers’. This theory explains the phenomenon of electron formation when a cosmic ray enters the earth's atmosphere.
  • Cosmic Rays: are very high energy subatomic particles like electrons, protons, and gamma rays moving around in outer space. When they enter the earth’s atmosphere, they interact with air.
  • Dr. Bhabha’s theory explained the process and the reaction that occurs during this interaction.
• Vector Meson Theory:
He claimed that the measured lifetime of a meson in flight is affected by the Special Theory of Relativity given by Albert Einstein. This is now considered the most direct demonstration of that phenomenon.

He returned to India in 1939 and did not go back to England due to the outbreak of the Second World War. In 1940, he joined the Indian Institute of Sciences (IISc) as a Reader in Theoretical Physics and later, in 1942, became a professor there.

• Homi Bhabha had a vision of making India self reliant in the field of nuclear energy. For this, TIFR proved to be the stepping stone. Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) was established in 1945 with the help of JRD Tata and grants from the government. It became the leading institute in the field of nuclear research and development. Dr Bhabha rightly called TIFR the ‘Cradle of Atomic Energy Programme’. Dr. Bhabha became the director of the institute.
• He convinced the then Prime Minister to start a nuclear programme for peaceful purposes. Due to his efforts, the Atomic Energy Commision was constituted by the government with Bhabha as the chairman. The commission was entrusted with the responsibility of exploring material required for the nuclear programme, constructing reactors, developing facilities for the purification of material, developing a talent pool of nuclear scientists, developing a training program, and promoting fundamental research.
• Later, in 1954, a separate Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) was established with Dr. Bhabha as its Secretary. DAE is under the direct control of the Prime Minister. It marked the beginning of the nuclear program in India.
• Three nuclear reactors were commissioned at Trombay by DAE under the leadership of Bhabha:
  • Apsara: First nuclear reactor which became critical on 6 August 1956. It provided basic facilities for research. Fuel for this reactor came from the UK.
  • Cirus: Built in collaboration with Canada in 1960.
  • Zerlina: Built for research purposes and it attained criticality in 1961.

  Research and Development by the DAE culminated in commissioning of the first nuclear power plant in Tarapur, Maharashtra, in 1969.

• He was aware of the predicament of the country regarding fissile materials, so he suggested a Three-Stage Nuclear Programme to meet energy security of the country by utilising abundant thorium.

It was established in 1962 by the then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru on the suggestion of Vikram Sarabhai. INCOSPAR functioned under the DAE. It was committed to furthering India’s space research. Dr. Bhabha was the Secretary of DAE at the time and played a crucial role in the establishment of INCOSPAR.

Homi Bhabha tragically died in an air crash on January 24, 1966 while he was travelling to London from Mumbai. The aircraft crashed into Mont Blanc near the border between France and Italy. There is a conspiracy theory regarding the air crash suggesting that his death might have been orchestrated by foreign powers to curtail India's nuclear ambitions, but there is no concrete evidence to support these claims. The official reason for the air crash is pilot error.

• Fellow of Royal Society in 1941 at the age of just 31 years.
• Received Adam’s Prize in 1942 for his essay, “The Theory of the Elementary Physical Particles and their Interactions”.
• Received Hopkins Prize of Cambridge Philosophical Society in 1948.
• Elected President of Indian Science Congress in 1951.
• Awarded Padma Bhushan in 1954 for his contribution to nuclear sciences.
• Elected as the President of the first International Conference on the ‘Peaceful Uses of Atomic Energy’, organised by the United Nations at Geneva.
• He was one of the first scientists who advocated for the peaceful use of nuclear energy.

Bhabha was a man of conviction, pursuing excellence in his field, and with a knack for problem solving. He had a vision of self-reliance for his country and made persistent efforts to realise that vision. Due to his farsightedness and constant efforts, India now has (as of July2023) nuclear power capacity of 7480 MW and 23 reactors. Homi Bhabha died in the Air India Kanchanjunga aircraft crash on January 24, 1966. He was on route to attend a meeting of the Scientific Advisory Committee of the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna. His untimely death at the age of 56 left the whole scientific community in the world in pain. He continues to inspire the younger generation to pursue the sciences with the same passion and grit as he possessed.